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,
Behind the house
The ground has opened up
And it's so deep, a hole
Its bottom can't be found
It sucks the air inside and makes quiet sea sounds
We sometimes stand
and linger at the edge
we like to dare each other how close that we can get
And there's a pact we made, if one should fall, the other follows in.
Ooooh
Ooooh
Started small with trash and rotten food
And then the neighbors came with cars and davenports too
Then the government, midnight dumps of what we never knew
Ooooh
Ooooh
A letter came the other day from clear around the globe
It said 'we hope that you're the ones on the other end of the hole
Could you take a few things back, our country's getting full'
Ooooh
Ooooh
Behind the house, the ground has opened up
The ground has opened up
And it's so deep, a hole
Its bottom can't be found
It sucks the air inside and makes quiet sea sounds
We sometimes stand
and linger at the edge
we like to dare each other how close that we can get
And there's a pact we made, if one should fall, the other follows in.
Ooooh
Ooooh
Started small with trash and rotten food
And then the neighbors came with cars and davenports too
Then the government, midnight dumps of what we never knew
Ooooh
Ooooh
A letter came the other day from clear around the globe
It said 'we hope that you're the ones on the other end of the hole
Could you take a few things back, our country's getting full'
Ooooh
Ooooh
Behind the house, the ground has opened up
Lyrics submitted by SavageMadrox
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
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/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
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.
One of my favorite interpretations of this song is how it is used in Breaking Bad.
The song is played at the end of the episode "The Cat's in the Bag", as many people know.
I've always liked to think of it as a representative point in the series, after Walt commits his first murder. He's digging himself into a hole, and after that point in the series it only begins to get deeper and deeper for himself and Jesse. The gas mask the child picks up as the song plays is one of the first pieces of evidence that Hank begins to build his case against Heisenberg, or Walter unknowingly.