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,
It's not her fault that she's so irresistible
But all the damage she's caused isn't fixable
Every twenty seconds you repeat her name
But when it comes to me you don't care
If I'm alive or dead
So objection, I don't wanna be the exception
To get a bit of your attention
I love you for free and I'm not your mother
But you don't even bother
Objection, I'm tired of this triangle
Got dizzy dancing tango
I'm falling apart in your hands again
No way, I've got to get away
Next to her cheap silicone I look minimal
That's why in front of your eyes, I'm invisible
But you gotta know small things also count
You better put your feet on the ground
And see what it's about
So objection, I don't wanna be the exception
To get a bit of your attention
I love you for free and I'm not your mother
But you don't even bother
I'm tied to the angles of this triangle
Got dizzy dancing tango
I'm falling apart in your hands again
No way, no, no, no, no
I wish there was a chance for you and me
I wish you couldn't find a place to be
Away from here
This is pathetic and sardonic
It's sadistic and psychotic
Tango is not for three
Was never meant to be
But you can try it, rehearse it
Or train like a horse
But don't you count on me
Oh, don't you count on me, boy
Objection, I don't wanna the exception
To get a bit of your attention
I love you for free and I'm not your mother
But you don't even bother
Objection, I'm tired of this triangle
Got dizzy dancing tango
I'm falling apart in your hands again
No way, I've got to get away
Get away
Get away, eh, eh, eh
Get away
Ah-ha-ho, ah-ha-ho, aha
Ah-ha-ho, ah-ha-ho, aha
Uh-uh
I'm falling apart in your hands again
Get away
I'm falling apart in your hands again
Get away
Get away
But all the damage she's caused isn't fixable
Every twenty seconds you repeat her name
But when it comes to me you don't care
If I'm alive or dead
So objection, I don't wanna be the exception
To get a bit of your attention
I love you for free and I'm not your mother
But you don't even bother
Objection, I'm tired of this triangle
Got dizzy dancing tango
I'm falling apart in your hands again
No way, I've got to get away
Next to her cheap silicone I look minimal
That's why in front of your eyes, I'm invisible
But you gotta know small things also count
You better put your feet on the ground
And see what it's about
So objection, I don't wanna be the exception
To get a bit of your attention
I love you for free and I'm not your mother
But you don't even bother
I'm tied to the angles of this triangle
Got dizzy dancing tango
I'm falling apart in your hands again
No way, no, no, no, no
I wish there was a chance for you and me
I wish you couldn't find a place to be
Away from here
This is pathetic and sardonic
It's sadistic and psychotic
Tango is not for three
Was never meant to be
But you can try it, rehearse it
Or train like a horse
But don't you count on me
Oh, don't you count on me, boy
Objection, I don't wanna the exception
To get a bit of your attention
I love you for free and I'm not your mother
But you don't even bother
Objection, I'm tired of this triangle
Got dizzy dancing tango
I'm falling apart in your hands again
No way, I've got to get away
Get away
Get away, eh, eh, eh
Get away
Ah-ha-ho, ah-ha-ho, aha
Ah-ha-ho, ah-ha-ho, aha
Uh-uh
I'm falling apart in your hands again
Get away
I'm falling apart in your hands again
Get away
Get away
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Actually, the lyrics are.... "I love you for free and I'm not your mother." instead of "Love is for free and I'm not your mother." :)