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,
Shall we dance?
Or maybe just limp around?
These feet are cold and beat
And strangers to the ground
The sound of the kick is arousing.
The couples are sweet in their love
Tonight we'll stagger up from the basement
Or fall to our deaths from above
You've got those moves and those eyes
I've got these shakes and bad breath
Ew...
I've never tried that
I've never tried that
I've never tried that
But I know I don't like it
Or maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Where are you? Where are you?
I hate to let em see me crying
I'm gonna zip on my party suit and show y'all something
There ain't no such thing as strumpin'
for nothing
You can fly with us or hang on to the
walls
But the devil's takin' names when the last curtain falls
I got a deep sick worry and I don't know why
Where are you? Where are you? What are you doing tonight?
Laughing and crying are almost the same
They just show everyone how much attention you're paying
I've never tried that
I've never tried that
I've never tried that
But I know I don't like it
Or maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Where are you? Where are you?
I hate to let em see me crying
So dry them eyes
Everyone else went back inside
Laughing and crying are almost the same
They just show everyone how much attention you're paying
So dry them eyes
Everyone else went back inside
Or maybe just limp around?
These feet are cold and beat
And strangers to the ground
The sound of the kick is arousing.
The couples are sweet in their love
Tonight we'll stagger up from the basement
Or fall to our deaths from above
You've got those moves and those eyes
I've got these shakes and bad breath
Ew...
I've never tried that
I've never tried that
I've never tried that
But I know I don't like it
Or maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Where are you? Where are you?
I hate to let em see me crying
I'm gonna zip on my party suit and show y'all something
There ain't no such thing as strumpin'
for nothing
You can fly with us or hang on to the
walls
But the devil's takin' names when the last curtain falls
I got a deep sick worry and I don't know why
Where are you? Where are you? What are you doing tonight?
Laughing and crying are almost the same
They just show everyone how much attention you're paying
I've never tried that
I've never tried that
I've never tried that
But I know I don't like it
Or maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Maybe I do I'm just too weak to fight it
Where are you? Where are you?
I hate to let em see me crying
So dry them eyes
Everyone else went back inside
Laughing and crying are almost the same
They just show everyone how much attention you're paying
So dry them eyes
Everyone else went back inside
Lyrics submitted by punkpirate
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now, i don't know about you, but when brendan says ew it's the greatest moment in music ever...
lol
yeah the 'eww' is sick, also the bit where i think chris is singing bout strumping are kick ass, this is an awesome song, i have sweet fa idea what its really bout though, i read somewhere a lot of ther songs off oh calcutta are about being desperate in one way or another and i can see it might fit but still im not sure
ummmm... the "eww' part is said by chris. and the "strumping" part is sung by brendan, it sounds weird that that's the way it is, but its true.
sentimentalfool, yes the strumpin part is sung by brendan but also the eww, watch the video on the interview they perform this song live..and brendan sings the eww parts, it don't matter anyway 'cause i know you too think it's sick..
well... there's a video for the song on the alternative press website and im pretty sure in the video chris sings it. i could be wrong though, im gonna go watch it now
Sentimentalfool is right. "Strumpin' for nothing"-Brendan. "Ew"- Chris. I saw the video on alternative press as well.
There's a sigh in "Hey, What time is Pensacola: Wings of Gold on anyway?" that gets me even more than this "ew". It's right after the line
"Forced endurance from this glass it's eleven forty five two more hours lumber past I feel like I tried (sigh).
It gets me everytime.
On this song I like the part when they switch from Brendan singing "i never tried that but I know I don't like it" to them both singing "or maybe I do and I'm just to weak to fight it."
It's crazy, man. Those two guys have got a way with words.
Guys, Brendan sighing (Ew) on Hesitation Station is much better than this (It's not even really a sigh on this song) and Pensacola.
Listen to it. It's much more audible when you use headphones as compared to speakers BTW.
It's right after the very first "What a great, what a great, what a great way" (SIGH).
Now THAT'S amazing.
Anyways, as to the meaning of the song (which is what the comment box is here for, which alot of people have seemed to forgotten), I think in it's most obvious way it's about disliking something you really don't even know about. "don't knock it if you've never tried it" kinda thing. Most likely, Breden is being sarcastic. Probably someone he knows is like this and he wrote it about them.
It also sense a lot of sexual innuendo it seems. "shall we dance" "The couples are sweet in their love" "You've got those moves and those eyes I've got these shakes and bad breath" and also (put very plainly by Breden) the party suit reference.
I'm bout to get off work gotta go.
Amazing song. really good. Freakin love the video. If only I could get it on my iPod...
The "ew" thing is sung by Brendan, not Chris. And the "strumping for nothing" line is sung by Chris, not Brendan. It doesn't matter who did it in the video, you can tell by their voices whose really singing it, as well as how they do it live.
In the video, the only reason we don't see Brendan mouth the "ew" is because he has to move his microphone in order to carry out the rest of the video facing Chris. Cinematic purposes. But it is Brendan singing it.
And in the video, the reason Brendan mouths the "strumping for nothing" is probably because they wanted to fit both of them into the shot, so they had Brendan mouth one half and Chris mouth the other (though it is Chris who sings the entire thing). Once again, cinematics.
you can't tell by their voice anymore. brendan and chris (mainly brendan) are trying new things. think that it's weird brendan sings 'strumpin'? here's another shocker for you, he sings the 'secret' track as well.