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,
I find myself wishing for a ladder
To climb from this car
Did I say I loved you today?
Driving over hills and by beaten lonely towns
I think of you more now I'm gone
Outside it is blue and green
And everything once blurred is clear
I am part of the peripheral scene
That shines like cathedral glass
The sun breathes against the window
But its warmth just fades away
The humming road whispers low
It says sometimes you feel alone
Cause sometimes you are
And hope lies dead upon your shoulder
The signs are passing like ghosts
Too late to turn, too late now
Too late when, too late for everything
The road turns me away
From the last light of the day
Too late now, too late when
Too late for everything
We share more than the end
A tragic blend of cocktails with a kiss
My love grows anxious
Waiting for the cure - picking sores
We were careless
To be taken by such misery
That tastes of violence - the saints are silent
God won't perform here anymore
My love is pale
A perfect shade of fear
Balled up on the floor
In need
We turned away the sun
Cold, empty, alone
Embrace the violence
The saints are silent
God won't perform here anymore
Fade away, far away
I've lost all feeling
I go and come back
Like memories and symptoms
They go and come back forever evermore
Part of me remains abandoned in a circle
And part of me moves on
The wipers move back and forth confessing
The scenes pass through my eyes
Slipping through darkness
Deeper than oceans
The miles can't purify
My dashboard glows cold liquid red
The miles tick on and on
Rainfall adds to a beat, lamenting
What's been said and done
Out here there could be giants
I want to walk in their shade
Introduce me to a brand new kiss
Help me forget my love
Ray: What have I done
Chris: Here I am
Brett: Live through (me)
Push through another mile - one more day
Cash the promise of escape
Out here I am immortal
Live through (me)?
Ray: What have I done
Chris: Here I am
Brett: Live through (me)
Sky has opened
Suppose I could ignore the rain
Should I listen to all that's golden
And the ghosts of its curse
Whispers drag me
Into this lonely place of misery
Where flies drown with beauty queens
Where tomorrow goes to die
Whiskey numbs me
Love rots in my heart
Broken men drink to heal
Their sting from a loaded flower
There is no lamb, no hope
There is no garden, no peace
Love is right in front of me - lies
Love is right in front of me so appealing - lies
Poet's eyes of fire
Burning holes
Drunk on his own words
Spit to gold
Poet's Vegas smile
Twisting neck
Everybody's friend
Face to face
Love is right in front of me - lies
Love is right in front of me so appealing - lies
Whispers warn me
To drag the poet down
Whiskey wants me
To give in, give out, give out
There is no lamb, no hope
There is no garden, no peace
Tall proud, stand up loud
Nation national tradition traditional
Anthem icon march on folk song
In the fields and on the heath
I lose strength through joy
Mothers cry for the fatherland
Fathers cry for the motherland
God is with us, manifest destiny
Protect, avenge, remember old glory
Discipline, adrenaline
Revenge old glory
Don't tread on me, don't ask why
Right as rain, John Wayne
John Doe, GI Joe, GI Jane
Hatred twisted into pride
Fear twisted into obedience
For the good of the cause, Marshall laws, no quarter
I'll be back, 5 stars, mars, red rivers
Markers, stones, bones
Living days like a sidearm
I loved the way I could repay
Pride has got me by the bootstraps
The trumpets sounded every day
Did I dream of stars and gardens
Tended rows crushed flat and dead
I saw you fall divine in shadows
Baptized in moonlight turned to red
I saw an army ripe ascending
Rising as the righteous do
They did love peace as a means to war
They trampled gods they overthrew
There in dust and sweat and power
I saw you drive spike into flesh
Now the blood is on your gamble
Spilling clean upon your bet
I hear the road beneath my wheels
Spin and roar
Spit my teeth blood and tongue
Dashboard Jesus on the floor
Smoke and glass and twisted steel
Hard to catch a breath
Hard to pay all of this
Devil in my ear
(Cut down in vain
Put down in pain)?
Scratch keeps humming
Your end is not the end
Your life is not your life
Your time is mine to spend
Try to climb from all of this
My hold is weak and spent
Feel the ladder slip away
Devil rakes my back
(Cut down in vain
Put down in pain)?
So sorry my love
Gave you my everything
Made you my day
Became a part of me
No more wishing you away
No more
Where were my kinder words
Where were my open arms
Where was my time for you
It was lost on a thousand reasons
And even now your heart is open... ready to receive
And even now I am forgiven... ready for love again
But my hope is a memory lost in sorrow... ground in the asphalt
And yet still it is born as new... ready to receive
Outside it was blue and green
Everything once blurred was clear
We were part of the peripheral scene
That shown like cathedral glass
My mistake was I learned to see the heads of my shadow
Damned in fate fighting them off everyday
I lost control of everything
Endlessly wandering - wondering
If I died would they leave my side
I lost control of everything
I crawled from under Mary's feet
Into a pool of disbelief
Staring back at me
Stronger than ever - forever
Separate the useless from the green
Keep me safe
I would do anything it takes
To feel the sun again
I am ready to receive
Love waits like an aging whore
Like a faithful dog
Like a convict
In honeysuckle half-light
Love goes and comes again
Like junkies and (felons)
Like birthdays and salmon
Inhale inhale exhale
Kiss me hello
Call me goodbye
My hope is a coin in a shattered fountain
Distorted
Out of touch
But shining through
My fear was a fever
That's been cooled and forgiven
And I wait for the morning
When I come back to you...
To climb from this car
Did I say I loved you today?
Driving over hills and by beaten lonely towns
I think of you more now I'm gone
Outside it is blue and green
And everything once blurred is clear
I am part of the peripheral scene
That shines like cathedral glass
The sun breathes against the window
But its warmth just fades away
The humming road whispers low
It says sometimes you feel alone
Cause sometimes you are
And hope lies dead upon your shoulder
The signs are passing like ghosts
Too late to turn, too late now
Too late when, too late for everything
The road turns me away
From the last light of the day
Too late now, too late when
Too late for everything
We share more than the end
A tragic blend of cocktails with a kiss
My love grows anxious
Waiting for the cure - picking sores
We were careless
To be taken by such misery
That tastes of violence - the saints are silent
God won't perform here anymore
My love is pale
A perfect shade of fear
Balled up on the floor
In need
We turned away the sun
Cold, empty, alone
Embrace the violence
The saints are silent
God won't perform here anymore
Fade away, far away
I've lost all feeling
I go and come back
Like memories and symptoms
They go and come back forever evermore
Part of me remains abandoned in a circle
And part of me moves on
The wipers move back and forth confessing
The scenes pass through my eyes
Slipping through darkness
Deeper than oceans
The miles can't purify
My dashboard glows cold liquid red
The miles tick on and on
Rainfall adds to a beat, lamenting
What's been said and done
Out here there could be giants
I want to walk in their shade
Introduce me to a brand new kiss
Help me forget my love
Ray: What have I done
Chris: Here I am
Brett: Live through (me)
Push through another mile - one more day
Cash the promise of escape
Out here I am immortal
Live through (me)?
Ray: What have I done
Chris: Here I am
Brett: Live through (me)
Sky has opened
Suppose I could ignore the rain
Should I listen to all that's golden
And the ghosts of its curse
Whispers drag me
Into this lonely place of misery
Where flies drown with beauty queens
Where tomorrow goes to die
Whiskey numbs me
Love rots in my heart
Broken men drink to heal
Their sting from a loaded flower
There is no lamb, no hope
There is no garden, no peace
Love is right in front of me - lies
Love is right in front of me so appealing - lies
Poet's eyes of fire
Burning holes
Drunk on his own words
Spit to gold
Poet's Vegas smile
Twisting neck
Everybody's friend
Face to face
Love is right in front of me - lies
Love is right in front of me so appealing - lies
Whispers warn me
To drag the poet down
Whiskey wants me
To give in, give out, give out
There is no lamb, no hope
There is no garden, no peace
Tall proud, stand up loud
Nation national tradition traditional
Anthem icon march on folk song
In the fields and on the heath
I lose strength through joy
Mothers cry for the fatherland
Fathers cry for the motherland
God is with us, manifest destiny
Protect, avenge, remember old glory
Discipline, adrenaline
Revenge old glory
Don't tread on me, don't ask why
Right as rain, John Wayne
John Doe, GI Joe, GI Jane
Hatred twisted into pride
Fear twisted into obedience
For the good of the cause, Marshall laws, no quarter
I'll be back, 5 stars, mars, red rivers
Markers, stones, bones
Living days like a sidearm
I loved the way I could repay
Pride has got me by the bootstraps
The trumpets sounded every day
Did I dream of stars and gardens
Tended rows crushed flat and dead
I saw you fall divine in shadows
Baptized in moonlight turned to red
I saw an army ripe ascending
Rising as the righteous do
They did love peace as a means to war
They trampled gods they overthrew
There in dust and sweat and power
I saw you drive spike into flesh
Now the blood is on your gamble
Spilling clean upon your bet
I hear the road beneath my wheels
Spin and roar
Spit my teeth blood and tongue
Dashboard Jesus on the floor
Smoke and glass and twisted steel
Hard to catch a breath
Hard to pay all of this
Devil in my ear
(Cut down in vain
Put down in pain)?
Scratch keeps humming
Your end is not the end
Your life is not your life
Your time is mine to spend
Try to climb from all of this
My hold is weak and spent
Feel the ladder slip away
Devil rakes my back
(Cut down in vain
Put down in pain)?
So sorry my love
Gave you my everything
Made you my day
Became a part of me
No more wishing you away
No more
Where were my kinder words
Where were my open arms
Where was my time for you
It was lost on a thousand reasons
And even now your heart is open... ready to receive
And even now I am forgiven... ready for love again
But my hope is a memory lost in sorrow... ground in the asphalt
And yet still it is born as new... ready to receive
Outside it was blue and green
Everything once blurred was clear
We were part of the peripheral scene
That shown like cathedral glass
My mistake was I learned to see the heads of my shadow
Damned in fate fighting them off everyday
I lost control of everything
Endlessly wandering - wondering
If I died would they leave my side
I lost control of everything
I crawled from under Mary's feet
Into a pool of disbelief
Staring back at me
Stronger than ever - forever
Separate the useless from the green
Keep me safe
I would do anything it takes
To feel the sun again
I am ready to receive
Love waits like an aging whore
Like a faithful dog
Like a convict
In honeysuckle half-light
Love goes and comes again
Like junkies and (felons)
Like birthdays and salmon
Inhale inhale exhale
Kiss me hello
Call me goodbye
My hope is a coin in a shattered fountain
Distorted
Out of touch
But shining through
My fear was a fever
That's been cooled and forgiven
And I wait for the morning
When I come back to you...
Lyrics submitted by Metropolis, edited by jankuschef
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