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,
I will only break your heart
Better days
Have come and gone away
Please hear me now
To never wait
For what we've lost will not be found
And time uncovers
That it is me pulling you under
So I will let this go
I will only break your heart
I will only let you down
I've been tearing up my world, dear
I will burn it to the ground
I will only break your heart
What remains
Is that I love you more
Than I know how
But what it takes
I never had to give
And time uncovers
That it was me pulling you under
So I will let this go
I will only break your heart
I will only let you down
I've been tearing up my world, dear
I will burn it to the ground
And in the end
White bleeds to red
You grab your coat and go
What's left is done
What's said is gone
And you will never know
I will only break your heart (and in the end)
I will only let you down (white bleeds to red)
I've been tearing up world here (you grab your coat)
I will burn it to the ground (and go)
I will only break your heart (what's left is done)
I will only let you down (what's said is gone)
See these walls are caving in, love (and you will)
You've got to find your own way out (never know)
And in the end
White bleeds to red
Better days
Have come and gone away
Please hear me now
To never wait
For what we've lost will not be found
And time uncovers
That it is me pulling you under
So I will let this go
I will only break your heart
I will only let you down
I've been tearing up my world, dear
I will burn it to the ground
I will only break your heart
What remains
Is that I love you more
Than I know how
But what it takes
I never had to give
And time uncovers
That it was me pulling you under
So I will let this go
I will only break your heart
I will only let you down
I've been tearing up my world, dear
I will burn it to the ground
And in the end
White bleeds to red
You grab your coat and go
What's left is done
What's said is gone
And you will never know
I will only break your heart (and in the end)
I will only let you down (white bleeds to red)
I've been tearing up world here (you grab your coat)
I will burn it to the ground (and go)
I will only break your heart (what's left is done)
I will only let you down (what's said is gone)
See these walls are caving in, love (and you will)
You've got to find your own way out (never know)
And in the end
White bleeds to red
Lyrics submitted by Angria
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I don't think the song needs much of an explanation, but does anyone know what the phrase "white bleeds to red" means here? I know it appears in another song by David Hodges called "Tearing Us Apart".