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,
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?
Today you say you deyah
Tomorrow you say you're gone
But you're gone so long
If there is no love in your heart, so sorry
Then there is no hope for you, true, true
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?
So you're in the air
But you still don't have a thing to spare
You're flying high
While we're on the low o-o-oh
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last? Tell me now
Tomorrow people, where is your past? No where
Tomorrow people, how long will you last? Ten years!
Stop tellin' me the same story
Today you say you deyah
Tomorrow you say you're gone and you na come back
If there is no love in your heart oh now
There will never be hope for you
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last? Ten years!
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, tomorrow people, come on
Don't know your past, don't know your future everyone
Don't know your past, you won't know your future, every man
Don't know your past, you don't know your future, come on
Don't know your past, you don't know your future, hey
How many people did that one catch
How many nations did that one catch
Don't know past, you don't know your future
Don't say, don't know past, don't know your future
How many people did that one catch
How many nations did that one catch
Come on come on
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?
Today you say you deyah
Tomorrow you say you're gone
But you're gone so long
If there is no love in your heart, so sorry
Then there is no hope for you, true, true
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last?
So you're in the air
But you still don't have a thing to spare
You're flying high
While we're on the low o-o-oh
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last? Tell me now
Tomorrow people, where is your past? No where
Tomorrow people, how long will you last? Ten years!
Stop tellin' me the same story
Today you say you deyah
Tomorrow you say you're gone and you na come back
If there is no love in your heart oh now
There will never be hope for you
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, how long will you last? Ten years!
Tomorrow people, where is your past?
Tomorrow people, tomorrow people, come on
Don't know your past, don't know your future everyone
Don't know your past, you won't know your future, every man
Don't know your past, you don't know your future, come on
Don't know your past, you don't know your future, hey
How many people did that one catch
How many nations did that one catch
Don't know past, you don't know your future
Don't say, don't know past, don't know your future
How many people did that one catch
How many nations did that one catch
Come on come on
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This song has a very strong meaning to me. In my point of view, the past is not more important than the future, that's why I sing this song in my heart and telling all the tomorrow people, "where is your past???"
I like the song, but the lyrics are vague and do not really explain themselves. The underlying theme seems to be a lack of past, and thus a lack of identity among contemporary youth. However, that's all that is really offered, and the lyrics simply repeat themselves.
My question is why does Ziggy (presumably) take the position that today's youth are ignorant of their past? What is his evidence?
Again, the song is a good one, but never really gets past the course in my opinion. Thus, it's somewhat of an incomplete/unfinished thought.
This song is about selfishness and greed exhibited by the United States.
The U.S. is a relatively young country; it doesn't have a past that dates back centuries like many countries. The song infers that all the U.S. cares about is what it can gain from tomorrow, but it does not value it's ancestry.
So this song is labeling the U.S. as the "Tomorrow People."
Honoring the past is about honoring one's people and heritage. But the U.S. does not do that. It has no love:
"If there is no love in your heart -- so sorry."
The U.S. is advanced technologically, but according to the songwriter, the U.S. does not use it's abundance to help 3rd world countries that are less fortunate:
"So you're in the air But you still don't have a thing to spare"
In other words, the U.S. is so abundant that it has airplanes. However, the U.S. is not generous enough to share their prosperity with others:
"You're flying high While we're on the low o-o-oh"
Ultimately, the song is saying that while the U.S. is wealthy and prosperous, it has nothing of real value because it has no love. It does not help other people or nations.