I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Too much time spent trying to crawl into a hole
Trying to crawl out of that hole
I followed a path of a piece of a bread, traveling
From one little sparrow's beak
To another little sparrow's beak
He picked it up, threw it and then dropped it, then
This other one picked it up and threw it and again
Then they broke it into pieces
Ate it up and forgot that it ever existed
They were still hungry, I bet
They were still hungry at the end
I was inside my office at the time
And I got real scared
Thought I saw two snakes slithering
Then I remembered:
Snakes don't live in carpeted areas
Too much time spent
And I'm spent
There is an old meatball wrapped inside of tinfoil
Lying on the bottom shelf of our fridge
A lesson in how fleeting preservation is...
Trying to crawl out of that hole
I followed a path of a piece of a bread, traveling
From one little sparrow's beak
To another little sparrow's beak
He picked it up, threw it and then dropped it, then
This other one picked it up and threw it and again
Then they broke it into pieces
Ate it up and forgot that it ever existed
They were still hungry, I bet
They were still hungry at the end
I was inside my office at the time
And I got real scared
Thought I saw two snakes slithering
Then I remembered:
Snakes don't live in carpeted areas
Too much time spent
And I'm spent
There is an old meatball wrapped inside of tinfoil
Lying on the bottom shelf of our fridge
A lesson in how fleeting preservation is...
Lyrics submitted by adamanteve
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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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Question: why is the title Left Hand Song now? Just curious. :D Thanks!
She recorded this version with Joshua Bell for his album "At Home with Friends." I think they just wanted a shorter title?
I was thinking about the title, my guess is it is called "Left Hand Song" because she composed it for Joshua Bell's new album, and he plays the violin, and the left hand is the more important hand when playing the violin.
actualy this is the same song as "a lesson in how fleeting preservation is"<br /> <br /> it was already called "left hand song" before she recorded it with joshua bell (there's a photo of a track list of a sidney show in 2008 where the song was listed)<br /> <br /> from what I could gather from the video where she played with joshua, she seemed to use only the left hand for this song
my bad, she actually uses the right hand too.<br /> <br /> the intro is just left hand though<br /> <br /> <br /> (doh, I gave myself a negative rating, lol)