This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Tortured and twisted, he walks the streets alone
People avoid him, they know the street's his own
Cold blade of silver, his eyes they burn so wild
Mean as a tiger, society's own child
Go the tiger, burn in hate
You know you have to, Johnny Blade
He's the meanest guy around his town
One look and he will cut you down
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Life has no meaning, and Death's his only friend
Will fate surprise him, where will he meet his end?
He feels so bitter, yes he's so full of hate
To die in the gutter, I guess that's Johnny's fate
Rivals all across the land
He kills them with his knife in hand
He's the meanest guy around his town
One look and he will cut you down
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Well you know that Johnny's a spider
And his web is the city at night
He's a victim of modern frustration
That's the reason he's so ready to fight
He's the one that should be afraid
What will happen to you, Johnny Blade?
Oh he knows his future's decided
And he ain't gonna change it, no way
He was born to die in the gutter
He'll keep fighting `till the end of his days
Been alone all through his life
His only friend is a switchblade knife
He's the one who should be afraid
What will happen to you, Johnny Blade?
You fool the people
Who's fooling who?
It's time to listen
Who's fool are you?
People avoid him, they know the street's his own
Cold blade of silver, his eyes they burn so wild
Mean as a tiger, society's own child
Go the tiger, burn in hate
You know you have to, Johnny Blade
He's the meanest guy around his town
One look and he will cut you down
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Life has no meaning, and Death's his only friend
Will fate surprise him, where will he meet his end?
He feels so bitter, yes he's so full of hate
To die in the gutter, I guess that's Johnny's fate
Rivals all across the land
He kills them with his knife in hand
He's the meanest guy around his town
One look and he will cut you down
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Johnny Blade, Johnny Blade
Well you know that Johnny's a spider
And his web is the city at night
He's a victim of modern frustration
That's the reason he's so ready to fight
He's the one that should be afraid
What will happen to you, Johnny Blade?
Oh he knows his future's decided
And he ain't gonna change it, no way
He was born to die in the gutter
He'll keep fighting `till the end of his days
Been alone all through his life
His only friend is a switchblade knife
He's the one who should be afraid
What will happen to you, Johnny Blade?
You fool the people
Who's fooling who?
It's time to listen
Who's fool are you?
Lyrics submitted by Angelic_Demon
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The Night We Met
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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,
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About a bad knife-wielding dude named Johnny Blade.