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,
the cross in the middle of the room
but the ghost who sleeps in the kitchen sink
and the one who shines my shoes all put the money in a bag
and left the house before the blizzards came
the summer's got his teeth in me again
but my bones are sweating and my clothes are gone
and i can't get enough to drink
so now the place to be is where the moonlight never blinks
and i'd love to explain but truth be told i'm not sure what to think
so now i'm going to bed
i woke up with my head stuffed full of fog
beyond it out into the livingroom
until i couldn't see the floors or walls
and as the sun cut through i finally found a place to lay
the skeleton in my closet left his home
now he sits up on the rooftop and shouts my secrets with a megaphone
and as the shit hit the fan i packed my bags and caught the train
and i'd like to point the finger but there's no one left to blame
now there's nothing left to protect me from the rain
and it's really coming down..
it's the thought that burns you out
it's the hook that drags you under
and it's the grin that rats you out
it's a snowstorm in the summer
it's the sky that spoils the cloud
it's the burn marks on your mother
and it's the thought that burns you out
it's the hook that drags you under and so on..
boring and twisting.. a moth stuck in the ground
has made a house of your lightbulbs
mottled and crooked
a hiccup in the sound
is like a smudge on the tv
like a crick in your neck
like mistakes that you never regret
it's the look upon your face
it's the rat that lost the race
it's the shivers in your spine
it's the heart you'll never find
it's the names in wet cement
it's the things you can't forget
it's the fear of growing old
it's the life you'll never know
it's the scratches in your teeth
it's the time you left for weeks
it's the age when you didn't care, darling
cutthroat and ambling
the help that's never around
just like a wish on your birthday
tired and empty
attacks on what you found
is like a spot on invention
like a bug in your food
like a thing that's too good to be true.. and so.
but the ghost who sleeps in the kitchen sink
and the one who shines my shoes all put the money in a bag
and left the house before the blizzards came
the summer's got his teeth in me again
but my bones are sweating and my clothes are gone
and i can't get enough to drink
so now the place to be is where the moonlight never blinks
and i'd love to explain but truth be told i'm not sure what to think
so now i'm going to bed
i woke up with my head stuffed full of fog
beyond it out into the livingroom
until i couldn't see the floors or walls
and as the sun cut through i finally found a place to lay
the skeleton in my closet left his home
now he sits up on the rooftop and shouts my secrets with a megaphone
and as the shit hit the fan i packed my bags and caught the train
and i'd like to point the finger but there's no one left to blame
now there's nothing left to protect me from the rain
and it's really coming down..
it's the thought that burns you out
it's the hook that drags you under
and it's the grin that rats you out
it's a snowstorm in the summer
it's the sky that spoils the cloud
it's the burn marks on your mother
and it's the thought that burns you out
it's the hook that drags you under and so on..
boring and twisting.. a moth stuck in the ground
has made a house of your lightbulbs
mottled and crooked
a hiccup in the sound
is like a smudge on the tv
like a crick in your neck
like mistakes that you never regret
it's the look upon your face
it's the rat that lost the race
it's the shivers in your spine
it's the heart you'll never find
it's the names in wet cement
it's the things you can't forget
it's the fear of growing old
it's the life you'll never know
it's the scratches in your teeth
it's the time you left for weeks
it's the age when you didn't care, darling
cutthroat and ambling
the help that's never around
just like a wish on your birthday
tired and empty
attacks on what you found
is like a spot on invention
like a bug in your food
like a thing that's too good to be true.. and so.
Lyrics submitted by masonchambers
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Really brilliant song.
This is clearly a song about coming out of the closet to an unsupportive and abusive family and ending up in the streets (Ben Cooper, the writer, is gay, and was kicked out of his house at 14 after coming out). Tbh i think most of the songs of this album is about being a closeted gay and he makes wonders writing the subtext so obvious for us, but so invisible for the cishets. That, and his undying ghost fetish he writes about in all his songs lol.
At first, he seems to be almost exited to come out. He's not seeing straight (loooool) and he makes a terible mistake to trust the people that are supposed to love him. He eventually realizes he shouldn't have done it (he says he didn't tell anyone for like 16 years? I think?) but leaving the family was the best thing. Just not this way.
Anyways, this Ben Cooper is an inspiration and i love him.