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,
Here's a new dance that you all can do
Baby, baby, what's he gonna do?
Sit back and relax 'cause it's good for you
Baby, baby, what's he gonna do?
what's he gonna say?
He's takin' my breath away
Well if you're tired of doing the Boogaloo
And you're afraid of doing the Swim
'Cause you think you will drown
In the noise of the record
And the klutz on the floor
He ain't there anymore
'Cause all you want to do
Is be alone at the bar
All you want to do is be alone at the bar
You want to drown in your cocktail
You want to leave with the laundry
If your mind is trippin'
But your disc is slippin'
Here's what you gotta do
Nothing
In any tempo and any rhythm
C'mon Mac do the sacro-iliac
C'mon back do the sacro-iliac
I said c'mon back do the sacro-iliac
Well it's easy
Here's the new dance that you 'll want to do
So easy
Don't want to annoy ya with my paranoia
Now I'm doing the dance that is good for me
Baby, baby, what's it gonna be?
I ain't no Astaire, but I've a right to be
Baby, baby, when's he gonna learn?
Where's he gonna stay?
He's taken my breath away
Well I'm bored with the beat of the Shing-a-ling
And the Lindy is leaving me cold
'Cause I've never been freaky or funky or laid back
And the lush on the floor
Isn't me anymore
And I never ever want to be alone
At the bar
Never ever want to be alone at the bar
So c'mon Mac do the sacro-iliac
C'mon back do the sacro-iliac
Won't you c'mon back do the sacro-iliac
C'mon back do the sacro-iliac
Won't you come on back do the sacro-iliac
Baby, baby, what's he gonna do?
Sit back and relax 'cause it's good for you
Baby, baby, what's he gonna do?
what's he gonna say?
He's takin' my breath away
Well if you're tired of doing the Boogaloo
And you're afraid of doing the Swim
'Cause you think you will drown
In the noise of the record
And the klutz on the floor
He ain't there anymore
'Cause all you want to do
Is be alone at the bar
All you want to do is be alone at the bar
You want to drown in your cocktail
You want to leave with the laundry
If your mind is trippin'
But your disc is slippin'
Here's what you gotta do
Nothing
In any tempo and any rhythm
C'mon Mac do the sacro-iliac
C'mon back do the sacro-iliac
I said c'mon back do the sacro-iliac
Well it's easy
Here's the new dance that you 'll want to do
So easy
Don't want to annoy ya with my paranoia
Now I'm doing the dance that is good for me
Baby, baby, what's it gonna be?
I ain't no Astaire, but I've a right to be
Baby, baby, when's he gonna learn?
Where's he gonna stay?
He's taken my breath away
Well I'm bored with the beat of the Shing-a-ling
And the Lindy is leaving me cold
'Cause I've never been freaky or funky or laid back
And the lush on the floor
Isn't me anymore
And I never ever want to be alone
At the bar
Never ever want to be alone at the bar
So c'mon Mac do the sacro-iliac
C'mon back do the sacro-iliac
Won't you c'mon back do the sacro-iliac
C'mon back do the sacro-iliac
Won't you come on back do the sacro-iliac
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The sacrum and ilium are parts of your pelvis sort of fused together by two sacroiliac joints. And if, in any tempo and any rhythm, you gotta do "nothing," I imagine the sacro-iliac is the dance of the non-dancers.