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,
There I was sitting on the top of the world
In a coin laundry
Well I could have been royalty
Sitting in the palace like a queen
Do you have a dollar?
Do you have a dollar for me?
Have you got a house on a hill
And a bed for three?
Do you have a story
Do you have a story for me?
Do you know the one where
We'll all live happily
Do you, do you
Do you, do you
So now I'm here sitting on the edge
Throwing these stones to the long lost friends
I could have been a common thief
Sitting in the dirt quite happily
Do you have a dollar?
Do you have a dollar for me?
Maybe just an hour or two
And a pot of tea
Have you got a memory
Have you got a memory for me?
Tell me about the days when
You were seventeen
Do you, do you
Do you, do you
Do you have a dollar?
Do you have a dollar for me?
Have you got a little old house
And a lemon tree?
Do you have a reason?
Do you have a reason for me?
Can I be the girl that you met
In a coin laundry?
Can I be the girl that you met
Can I be the girl that you met
Can I be the girl that you met
In the coin laundry?
Can I be the girl that you met
Can I be the girl that you met
Can I be the girl that you met
In the coin laundry?
In a coin laundry
Well I could have been royalty
Sitting in the palace like a queen
Do you have a dollar?
Do you have a dollar for me?
Have you got a house on a hill
And a bed for three?
Do you have a story
Do you have a story for me?
Do you know the one where
We'll all live happily
Do you, do you
Do you, do you
So now I'm here sitting on the edge
Throwing these stones to the long lost friends
I could have been a common thief
Sitting in the dirt quite happily
Do you have a dollar?
Do you have a dollar for me?
Maybe just an hour or two
And a pot of tea
Have you got a memory
Have you got a memory for me?
Tell me about the days when
You were seventeen
Do you, do you
Do you, do you
Do you have a dollar?
Do you have a dollar for me?
Have you got a little old house
And a lemon tree?
Do you have a reason?
Do you have a reason for me?
Can I be the girl that you met
In a coin laundry?
Can I be the girl that you met
Can I be the girl that you met
Can I be the girl that you met
In the coin laundry?
Can I be the girl that you met
Can I be the girl that you met
Can I be the girl that you met
In the coin laundry?
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Ed Sheeran
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I take this song to be about a sugar daddy/baby relationship where the woman isnt really asking for much. Just something simple to hold her off and in return she is asking questions keeping him engaged. The tie isnt traditional in the sense that she isn't extremely materialistic which brings the idea of the coin laundry. She is just looking for someone simple when she could have extravagant wealth.
Pretty cool.
Woot alright thumbs up!