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,
(Alright, yeah, there you go)
(Yeah, hey, you sounded good to me)
(Sounded like)
(You've been listening close, haven't yeah)
(Yeah, here you go)
(Yeah)
Now when I was just a little boy
Standin' to my daddy's knee
My Poppa said, "Son, don't let the man getcha, do what he done to me
'Cause he'll get ya
Get ya now, now"
And I can remember the Fourth of July
Runnin' through the backwood bay
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou, alright
Born on the Bayou, do, do, do, do
Yeah, wish I was back on the Bayou
Rollin' with some Cajun Queen, Lord
Wishin' I were a fast freight train
Oh, just a-chooglin' on down to New Orleans
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou, alright
Born on the Bayou
Do it, do it, do it, do it
And I can remember the Fourth of July
Runnin' through the backwood bay
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou, alright
Born on the Bayou
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Alright
(Wow, sounded like a bomb going off)
(Yeah, hey, you sounded good to me)
(Sounded like)
(You've been listening close, haven't yeah)
(Yeah, here you go)
(Yeah)
Now when I was just a little boy
Standin' to my daddy's knee
My Poppa said, "Son, don't let the man getcha, do what he done to me
'Cause he'll get ya
Get ya now, now"
And I can remember the Fourth of July
Runnin' through the backwood bay
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou, alright
Born on the Bayou, do, do, do, do
Yeah, wish I was back on the Bayou
Rollin' with some Cajun Queen, Lord
Wishin' I were a fast freight train
Oh, just a-chooglin' on down to New Orleans
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou, alright
Born on the Bayou
Do it, do it, do it, do it
And I can remember the Fourth of July
Runnin' through the backwood bay
And I can still hear my old hound dog barkin'
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Chasin' down a hoodoo there
Born on the Bayou
Born on the Bayou, alright
Born on the Bayou
Do it, do it, do it, do it
Alright
(Wow, sounded like a bomb going off)
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