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,
There's no ambition, told from vision
Pre-recorded maze of wisdom
Bland street bloom, a moronic feeling
No ambition, plague of pigeons
Twisted in your maze of wisdom
Shake-up, make-up, fake-up
Think you need some healing
No ambition
Same old wrong millennium scorn
Maze of wisdom
Bland street bloom, a moronic feeling
Pretty little birds all singing in the street
Few trees left, bare and shivering
In this hollow bitter street
No ambition, told from vision
Pre-recorded maze of wisdom
Bland street bloom
Bland street bloom
Bland street bloom (as the)
Bland street bloom
Bland street bloom (as the)
As the dove rains blood
As the dove rains blood
As the dove rains blood
As the dove rains blood
A world of wonders
Man-made mechanical thunders
(Dove, blood, dove, blood)
Like stuffing a turkey
Gutless, hollow
Man-made premeditated hole
Like a rock that doesn't roll
You are the rock that doesn't roll
Like a rock that doesn't roll
You are the rock that doesn't roll
Empty coal into the fruit bowl
Became a machine
Just one of the people
Welcome to the middle road
Your soul has now been scrolled
No backbone, just torn and thrown
Into the show you go
No backbone, just malignant groans
Of what and where and now
Of what and when and how of what
Don't count on nothing being free
Because when you're in the concrete sea
Not you or me or in between
I can't stand them, i can't stand this
About as much fun as drinking a pint of piss
Can't wear that and you can't smoke this
As bitter as a cold brew
Bitter as a cold brew pint of piss
A world of wonders
Man-made mechanical thunders
(Dove, rains, blood)
As the dove rains blood over the streets
Man-made mechanical thunders
I think I've seen this kind of thing too many times before
Mediocrity has never been a way of life
I've been inspired by seeing all this strife!
Bland street bloom, bland street bloom
Bland street bloom, bland street bloom
I can't stand them, i can't stand this
About as much fun as drinking a pint of piss
Can't wear that and you can't smoke this
As bitter as a cold brew
Bitter as a cold brew pint of piss
Pre-recorded maze of wisdom
Bland street bloom, a moronic feeling
No ambition, plague of pigeons
Twisted in your maze of wisdom
Shake-up, make-up, fake-up
Think you need some healing
No ambition
Same old wrong millennium scorn
Maze of wisdom
Bland street bloom, a moronic feeling
Pretty little birds all singing in the street
Few trees left, bare and shivering
In this hollow bitter street
No ambition, told from vision
Pre-recorded maze of wisdom
Bland street bloom
Bland street bloom
Bland street bloom (as the)
Bland street bloom
Bland street bloom (as the)
As the dove rains blood
As the dove rains blood
As the dove rains blood
As the dove rains blood
A world of wonders
Man-made mechanical thunders
(Dove, blood, dove, blood)
Like stuffing a turkey
Gutless, hollow
Man-made premeditated hole
Like a rock that doesn't roll
You are the rock that doesn't roll
Like a rock that doesn't roll
You are the rock that doesn't roll
Empty coal into the fruit bowl
Became a machine
Just one of the people
Welcome to the middle road
Your soul has now been scrolled
No backbone, just torn and thrown
Into the show you go
No backbone, just malignant groans
Of what and where and now
Of what and when and how of what
Don't count on nothing being free
Because when you're in the concrete sea
Not you or me or in between
I can't stand them, i can't stand this
About as much fun as drinking a pint of piss
Can't wear that and you can't smoke this
As bitter as a cold brew
Bitter as a cold brew pint of piss
A world of wonders
Man-made mechanical thunders
(Dove, rains, blood)
As the dove rains blood over the streets
Man-made mechanical thunders
I think I've seen this kind of thing too many times before
Mediocrity has never been a way of life
I've been inspired by seeing all this strife!
Bland street bloom, bland street bloom
Bland street bloom, bland street bloom
I can't stand them, i can't stand this
About as much fun as drinking a pint of piss
Can't wear that and you can't smoke this
As bitter as a cold brew
Bitter as a cold brew pint of piss
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
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Sikth are so GOOD!
When it comes to Sikth lyrics i think its personal iterpretation, there such in your face lyrics. When the chorus comes and they sing
"A World of Wonders.....Man Made mechanical thunder......dove,blood"
I think its talking about the death of purity in the world, or somthing. The blood of the doves being symbolic of innocence dying? and that nature itself is dying?
Also maybe there disgust at people around us, telling us what not to do "I cant stand them, cant stand this"
But yeh.....Sikth lyrics arent straight forward which just makes them an even BETTER band than they already are technically, the vocals are just the icing on the cake :)
I think maybe this song has to do with a lot of the ignorance that is in the world. Some people won't do certain things because they just have it "etched" in their mind that you can't do it because things will result from it. Standards reguarding behavior that exist in our society today are preventing them from doing things they might want to do.
People do a lot of things for the sake of others. I think maybe this song is a stab at those people. Trying to say: do things for yourself. Don't let someone predetermine how you should think, act, feel, etc...
Funny thing is this song is about...............Watford. The town most of Sikth come from and ive been too way too many times.
If any of you have been to that shithole re read over the lyrics, it ecactly describes the high street!
This song is incredible. I love the tapping throughout the chorus. This could perhaps be the only album which I own that I can't say I have a fave track off, because I like each song so much. I can see how parts of this relate to Watford, I go there quite often, I don't really live that far away (maybe 40 mins?).
I also think this is about the way society set its own rules and FORCES people into doing what they think is right, trying to command everyone, instead of leaving people to be themselves and make their own decions.
Awesome.
I think lyrics of this song, like a lot of Sikths music is open to ainterpretation. Its almost as if the words need to be hard to read into sometimes to match the bands musical approach. The music is challenging to listen therefore so are the lyrics. Which is good!
at download, mikee was taling about how its based on the typical decaying british town, but went on to say its a bit of a misconception that theyre from watford; none of the band live there...justin is from norfolk i think and dan weller is from liverpool originally...
Judging from the video i'd say it was about the state of our society at the moment where individuality and creative flare is frowned upon because the media has told us it isn't "normal". How everyone is so conditioned into this blandness that prohibits us from doing what we want and how we're all trying to be the people we are told we're suppossed to be. Sikth is the middle finger to all that bollocks. Long may they reign....
I agree that it attacks what people belive to be normal, but it does also seem to say that what humans make cannot compare to what nature already gave us. This may tie in as it is about our nature creative and intresting personalitys being ground into the same formality
i like how they add some extra words in their sentances that make em harder to say.
like when they say 'Like stuffing a turkey' it's actualy more like 'Like stuffing in the turkey'
if you watch the video and think about the title, it's probably about the fact that most towns all look the same now, thanks to giant brands like tesco and mcdonalds putting smaller businesses out of existence. an interesting and unusual theme, and one i'd like to write about as well