This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Imagine if you were Herr Barockter
Alias and nobleman
Son of son of sky, and of scion
Part of his rich inheritance
Parceled and generous divorce
Sentence forthwith, being
Certain blocks of land
And living quarters deemed
By all gentlemen
And wives thereof
To be grossly humane
And frankly, quite un-dirty
Herr Barockter
In his enviable good taste
Tries quick escape gambit
Via local periodicals
But no takers, land an enviable station
In the conduit between two selves
A veritable no-man's land
Array of the flophouse, cardboard materials
And carbon-monoxide wallpaper
All his brig-deck Torino boys ask
Is irrelevant
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Unable to bear the scandal, Ray, philanthropist
Rents low-down scab house in conduit
Herr Barockter offers said land for a song
But no one wants to sing
In an attempt to retain social privileges
Yet mask it as goodwill,
He says to the conduit members:
"Take this rotten old tree and make it bear fruit"
Cheers erupted throughout the thin settlement
An Italian male was heard to say
"Between here and there
Is better than either here or there!"
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Imagine if you were Herr Barockter
Alias and nobleman
Son of son of sky, and of scion
Part of his rich inheritance
Parceled and generous divorce
Sentence forthwith, being
Certain blocks of land
And living quarters deemed
By all gentlemen
And wives thereof
To be grossly humane
And frankly, quite un-dirty
Herr Barockter
In his enviable good taste
Tries quick escape gambit
Via local periodicals
But no takers, land an enviable station
In the conduit between two selves
A veritable no-man's land
Array of the flophouse, cardboard materials
And carbon-monoxide wallpaper
All his brig-deck Torino boys ask
Is irrelevant
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Unable to bear the scandal, Ray, philanthropist
Rents low-down scab house in conduit
Herr Barockter offers said land for a song
But no one wants to sing
In an attempt to retain social privileges
Yet mask it as goodwill,
He says to the conduit members:
"Take this rotten old tree and make it bear fruit"
Cheers erupted throughout the thin settlement
An Italian male was heard to say
"Between here and there
Is better than either here or there!"
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin'
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
I'm tryin' and I'll try
Lyrics submitted by summerbabe, edited by cutlunch
Conduit for Sale! Lyrics as written by Stephen Joseph Malkmus Scott Kannberg
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Gentle Hour
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
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"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
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I think Malkmus was just throwing words at the wall to see what sticks. This song is like homemade pasta.
You shouldn't so vastly underestimate genius