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,
Struck down by a vision of beauty
Said i was struck down by a long legged archer
Oh the city was hot, but my blood ran cold
Oh, the city went dark, keep calm and carry on.
I was a young man, only 19 years old.
I was a young man so very far away from home.
Ah she got me, struck down, right through the heart, struck down.
Ah she shot me, struck down, right through the heart, struck down.
Keep calm and carry on, reefer madness quiets the falling bomb.
I want to be an old man, damn you, Von Braun.
I've been laid low by a blinding light.
I've been torn asunder by the banshee's wail.
Ah she got me, struck down, right through the heart, struck down.
Ah she shot me, struck down, right through the heart, struck down.
Keep calm and carry on, reefer madness quiets the falling bomb.
I was a young man, only 19 years old.
I was a very young man so very far away from home.
I was imprisoned by a vision of beauty.
I was struck down by the long legged archer.
Keep calm and carry on, reefer madness quiets the falling bomb.
Said i was struck down by a long legged archer
Oh the city was hot, but my blood ran cold
Oh, the city went dark, keep calm and carry on.
I was a young man, only 19 years old.
I was a young man so very far away from home.
Ah she got me, struck down, right through the heart, struck down.
Ah she shot me, struck down, right through the heart, struck down.
Keep calm and carry on, reefer madness quiets the falling bomb.
I want to be an old man, damn you, Von Braun.
I've been laid low by a blinding light.
I've been torn asunder by the banshee's wail.
Ah she got me, struck down, right through the heart, struck down.
Ah she shot me, struck down, right through the heart, struck down.
Keep calm and carry on, reefer madness quiets the falling bomb.
I was a young man, only 19 years old.
I was a very young man so very far away from home.
I was imprisoned by a vision of beauty.
I was struck down by the long legged archer.
Keep calm and carry on, reefer madness quiets the falling bomb.
Lyrics submitted by JaycetheJayce
Struck Down Lyrics as written by Jean-paul Gaster Dan Maines
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I always just took this song as being about a girl; I never even picked the parts about von Braun, and falling bombs.
"I've been torn asunder by the banshee's wail." I think this is the phrase that ties the heartbreak and the war scene together. The sound of a falling bomb could be described as sounding like a banshee's wail, and a crazy ex-girlfriend could certainly be described as a banshee (although I prefer "succubus").
I think the war imagery is not the focal point of the story, but rather, it is a metaphor for a bad breakup (or other experience) with a girl.