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,
Living your life in the gray
Is the new American way
Are you a ghost or a credit card slave?
And you save your money in good faith
And you work hard for your living wage
But lately, have they seen our faces?
Because the dream's a lie
And the snake, it bit you
When you were awake
And the books don't lie
You are bankrupting
Because of all the loans you take
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
I can't sleep these days
And my blues, they won't go away
But there are these little red pills I been taking
And my doctor, she says that they're safe
But I been sleepwalking down to the lake
And waking up in the water
And the feeling's a lie
Because the snake, it bit me
When I wasn't awake
And the scripts, they lie
I have been poisoned because
All the things I take
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
I know you feel deprived
(But you don't touch me)
All of us still alive
(But you don't fuck me)
It's really just that I don't feel
Like doing it these days
And my love's a lie
Because the snake, he visits me
When you are away
And your dreams don't lie
I have been corrupted
Because of all the lovers I take
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Is the new American way
Are you a ghost or a credit card slave?
And you save your money in good faith
And you work hard for your living wage
But lately, have they seen our faces?
Because the dream's a lie
And the snake, it bit you
When you were awake
And the books don't lie
You are bankrupting
Because of all the loans you take
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
I can't sleep these days
And my blues, they won't go away
But there are these little red pills I been taking
And my doctor, she says that they're safe
But I been sleepwalking down to the lake
And waking up in the water
And the feeling's a lie
Because the snake, it bit me
When I wasn't awake
And the scripts, they lie
I have been poisoned because
All the things I take
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
I know you feel deprived
(But you don't touch me)
All of us still alive
(But you don't fuck me)
It's really just that I don't feel
Like doing it these days
And my love's a lie
Because the snake, he visits me
When you are away
And your dreams don't lie
I have been corrupted
Because of all the lovers I take
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Big wave
Big wave
Big wave
It's going to hit you in a big wave
Lyrics submitted by iambones
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I think she wrote this song about California. I saw her about a week ago and she played this song and said "as you guys know I'm from California, and California is kind of broke right now. So I wrote a song about it." I think this was the song.
Living your life in the gray Is the new American way We're spending what we haven't made And we save our money in good faith And we work hard for our living wage But the still the bank's gotta break
Because the dream's a lie And the snake, it bit you When you were awake And the books are fried You are bankrupting Because all the loans you take
Big wave Big wave Big wave It's going to hit you with a big wave
I can't sleep these days And my blues, they won't go away So there are these little pills I been taking And my doctor, she says that they're safe But I been sleepwalking down to the lake And waking up in the water
And the feeling's a lie But the snake, it bit me When I wasn't awake And the scripts, they lie I have been poisoned from All the things I take
Big wave Big wave Big wave It's going to hit me with a big wave Big wave Big wave Big wave It's going to hit you with a big wave
I know you feel deprived (You don't trust me) Our love is still alive (You haven't touched me) It's really just that I don't feel Like it much these days
And my love's a lie Because the snake, he visits me When you are away And your dreams don't lie I have been corrupted Because of all the lovers I take
Big wave Big wave Big wave You're going to hit me with a big wave Big wave Big wave Big wave It's going to hit you with a big wave Big wave Big wave Big wave It's going to hit you with a big wave