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,
Jeanie marries when she's twenty one,
Has a baby one year on
And every year that's the way that life goes
Lost herself in domesticity,
A cleaning, feeding entity,
She can't recall what she was before
In an ideal world kids would keep their rooms tidy,
In an ideal world he would be home from his work on time
And in the morning I could lay in
Johnny signs his share of autographs,
For all the people he makes laugh
And he walks home to an empty flat
Does his best to fight the slience,
Of late night TV vicadence
He can't forget what he had before
In an ideal world she would still think I'm funny,
In an ideal world she'd be waiting in bed for me,
And in the morning we could lay in an ideal world
Molly's sitting in a waiting room,
The top doctor will see her soon,
In the body nature gave her
Wonder if she'll ever wake up,
Wonder if she's better off,
Why can't she be what she was before?
In an ideal world he would still think I'm pretty,
In an ideal world he would only want to bed with me,
And in the morning we could lay in
In an ideal world you would make a decision,
In an ideal world you'd be making a home for me
And in the morning we could lay in
Sunday mornings we could lay in
Has a baby one year on
And every year that's the way that life goes
Lost herself in domesticity,
A cleaning, feeding entity,
She can't recall what she was before
In an ideal world kids would keep their rooms tidy,
In an ideal world he would be home from his work on time
And in the morning I could lay in
Johnny signs his share of autographs,
For all the people he makes laugh
And he walks home to an empty flat
Does his best to fight the slience,
Of late night TV vicadence
He can't forget what he had before
In an ideal world she would still think I'm funny,
In an ideal world she'd be waiting in bed for me,
And in the morning we could lay in an ideal world
Molly's sitting in a waiting room,
The top doctor will see her soon,
In the body nature gave her
Wonder if she'll ever wake up,
Wonder if she's better off,
Why can't she be what she was before?
In an ideal world he would still think I'm pretty,
In an ideal world he would only want to bed with me,
And in the morning we could lay in
In an ideal world you would make a decision,
In an ideal world you'd be making a home for me
And in the morning we could lay in
Sunday mornings we could lay in
Lyrics submitted by SMUSER17185761
Ideal World Lyrics as written by Andrea Jane Corr
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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When We Were Young
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No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
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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/
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.