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 will wake up at six a.m. again
And I will find my way to the front door like a soldier crawling through the smoke and carnage
Smoldering bodies at my feet
I'd love to stick around but I've got someone to meet
And I will put my best foot forward
And I'll thank God I made it out of there
On the day when my new friends come
I will present myself in my nice white tuxedo jacket
And I will look out at the day through my dark sunglasses
And take in the scene
The house behind me and the people in it will all go up like steam in just a minute
There's gonna be a redefining of some borders
And I will recieve my orders
On the day when my new friends come
The rooftops and the sidewalks
Will all melt like plastic
And oh friends, old friends, dear friends
I'm gonna look fantastic
There wont be any reason left to cry
Because there wont be any people left to cry for
My memory's gonna vaporize itself
And my Italian shoes, well, they will be to die for
I believe I can fly
Might you look up at me and wave goodbye
On the day when my new friends come
And I will find my way to the front door like a soldier crawling through the smoke and carnage
Smoldering bodies at my feet
I'd love to stick around but I've got someone to meet
And I will put my best foot forward
And I'll thank God I made it out of there
On the day when my new friends come
I will present myself in my nice white tuxedo jacket
And I will look out at the day through my dark sunglasses
And take in the scene
The house behind me and the people in it will all go up like steam in just a minute
There's gonna be a redefining of some borders
And I will recieve my orders
On the day when my new friends come
The rooftops and the sidewalks
Will all melt like plastic
And oh friends, old friends, dear friends
I'm gonna look fantastic
There wont be any reason left to cry
Because there wont be any people left to cry for
My memory's gonna vaporize itself
And my Italian shoes, well, they will be to die for
I believe I can fly
Might you look up at me and wave goodbye
On the day when my new friends come
Lyrics submitted by battery, edited by sgoodspeed, OctaVariuM8
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I really enjoy this song, but Darnielle reprises the couplet from Palmcorder Yajna, a superior song. Still, the irony and beauty of the lines "...Cry for / And my Italian shoes / Well they will be to die for" more than compensates.