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,
Yeah we all listen to everything the man says
can't speak a sentence, we got the words placed
Stars keeping falling far from space, we're a million miles an hour, fast asleep
How do you feel, how do you feel when you're alone?
It's time for action, they tried to take our love!
Where is your passion, where do you get yours?
Stars keeping falling far from space, we're a million miles an hour, fast asleep
How do you feel, how do you feel when you're alone?
Got our bodies squeezed into digital molds, we can't breathe & we're moving too slow
God is solid between a video screen, a plastic wall & a broken material dream
It's time to memorize your numbers, a code to signify your face
Your thumb is pushing down on the plunger, pick up your feet so you can put em in place
There's an inside rumor of a beggar, who got all that he need in his hands,
he said he ain't no good with possession cause he can't keep track & he don't need a plan
They say the old woman got the wisdom, cause she couldn't read a clock anymore
she said the numbers don't represent the moments & she don't see what all that ticking's for
"they selling you time with repeat stimuli right in front of your eyes till you feel paralyzed
you're the only one who can define real"
Tell me right now how you really feel
can't speak a sentence, we got the words placed
Stars keeping falling far from space, we're a million miles an hour, fast asleep
How do you feel, how do you feel when you're alone?
It's time for action, they tried to take our love!
Where is your passion, where do you get yours?
Stars keeping falling far from space, we're a million miles an hour, fast asleep
How do you feel, how do you feel when you're alone?
Got our bodies squeezed into digital molds, we can't breathe & we're moving too slow
God is solid between a video screen, a plastic wall & a broken material dream
It's time to memorize your numbers, a code to signify your face
Your thumb is pushing down on the plunger, pick up your feet so you can put em in place
There's an inside rumor of a beggar, who got all that he need in his hands,
he said he ain't no good with possession cause he can't keep track & he don't need a plan
They say the old woman got the wisdom, cause she couldn't read a clock anymore
she said the numbers don't represent the moments & she don't see what all that ticking's for
"they selling you time with repeat stimuli right in front of your eyes till you feel paralyzed
you're the only one who can define real"
Tell me right now how you really feel
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"you're the only one who can define real, tell me right now how you really feel"- fuckin heavy man
so good. this song is about how were in the digital age. how we are stupified by it. the first lines references George W saying
"Yeah we all listen to everything the man says Can’t speak a sentence, we got the words placed"
but we dont even recognize the fact that hes a moron that cant even speak the words that were written for him.... why? because we're all running around a million miles an hour, fast asleep in our awareness.