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,
You can't take me anywhere,
I'll strip down to my underwear
If you give me half a chance.
Hippy-freelove, outtasight!
I'm gonna turn off every light
And hold a private dance.
It started out one afternoon,
Hot sake in my living room
Among some special friends.
Soon some others dropped around
And we all started gaffing down, well,
You know how these things end!
Miss Freelove, Come back sometime-
Miss Freelove of '69.
Torches flashing sweaty passion,
Each made love in their own fashion
We had quite a ball!
Do the monkey, feeling funky,
I'm just like any disco junkie
And I don't care at all.
Maybe I'm not thinking straight,
I only know that it feels great
And I'm glad you do too.
It could be just a passing fad
But think about the fun we had
The last time you decided to pass through.
Miss Freelove, come back sometime
Miss Freelove of '69.
And everything is gone and far away
And everything is gone and that's OK
And everything is groovy, would you say?
Would you say?
Someone called the cops on us
They didn't have the heart to bust
The kinky scene they found.
They checked their badges at the door
And joined the action on the floor
(When they laid their nightsticks down!)
Miss Freelove...
La-la-la-la love
La-la-la-la love, Freelove!
I'll strip down to my underwear
If you give me half a chance.
Hippy-freelove, outtasight!
I'm gonna turn off every light
And hold a private dance.
It started out one afternoon,
Hot sake in my living room
Among some special friends.
Soon some others dropped around
And we all started gaffing down, well,
You know how these things end!
Miss Freelove, Come back sometime-
Miss Freelove of '69.
Torches flashing sweaty passion,
Each made love in their own fashion
We had quite a ball!
Do the monkey, feeling funky,
I'm just like any disco junkie
And I don't care at all.
Maybe I'm not thinking straight,
I only know that it feels great
And I'm glad you do too.
It could be just a passing fad
But think about the fun we had
The last time you decided to pass through.
Miss Freelove, come back sometime
Miss Freelove of '69.
And everything is gone and far away
And everything is gone and that's OK
And everything is groovy, would you say?
Would you say?
Someone called the cops on us
They didn't have the heart to bust
The kinky scene they found.
They checked their badges at the door
And joined the action on the floor
(When they laid their nightsticks down!)
Miss Freelove...
La-la-la-la love
La-la-la-la love, Freelove!
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
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Adding to what fhockeygirl77 said, the singer is also wanting to party hearty and never let the party stop. A lot of people that were young in the 1960's really felt cheated when they came of age in the late 1970's, because the freelove subculture was waning, and the introduction of herpes and AIDS really made it take a nosedive.