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,
you're a lonely alcoholic
with a tendency to wine
well you speak it and you drink it
and bore us all the time
say you drink out of your sorrow
for you've got no one to love
but tell me who could cuddle up
to a lonely alcoholic
you're a stressed out single mother
who has clearly been harassed
well you can't predict the future
for you can't erase the past
cause your baby isn't going anywhere
but up so join the line and get the dole
for the stressed out single mother
I'm a mediocre writer
who sings all the time
writing songs about
misfortunes and other
people's crimes
well they say that I am
doing my duty to the world
Oh you could say that is onerous,
I'm just craving to be heard
ooooo don't leave me alone
well who is there to listen to
the problems of our lives
you've got kids who just don't eat enough
and men with many wives
if we're altogether screaming
why can't we make a sound
'cause the dirt on which we're stepping
is the one in which we will be found
ooooo baby don't leave me alone
well who is there to listen to
the problems of our lives
you've got kids who just don't eat enough
and men with many wives
if we're altogether screaming
why can't we make a sound
'cause the dirt on which we're stepping
is the one in which we will be found
ooooo baby don't leave me alone
with a tendency to wine
well you speak it and you drink it
and bore us all the time
say you drink out of your sorrow
for you've got no one to love
but tell me who could cuddle up
to a lonely alcoholic
you're a stressed out single mother
who has clearly been harassed
well you can't predict the future
for you can't erase the past
cause your baby isn't going anywhere
but up so join the line and get the dole
for the stressed out single mother
I'm a mediocre writer
who sings all the time
writing songs about
misfortunes and other
people's crimes
well they say that I am
doing my duty to the world
Oh you could say that is onerous,
I'm just craving to be heard
ooooo don't leave me alone
well who is there to listen to
the problems of our lives
you've got kids who just don't eat enough
and men with many wives
if we're altogether screaming
why can't we make a sound
'cause the dirt on which we're stepping
is the one in which we will be found
ooooo baby don't leave me alone
well who is there to listen to
the problems of our lives
you've got kids who just don't eat enough
and men with many wives
if we're altogether screaming
why can't we make a sound
'cause the dirt on which we're stepping
is the one in which we will be found
ooooo baby don't leave me alone
Lyrics submitted by jessicarrrlove
Lonely Alcoholic Lyrics as written by Michael Holbrook Penniman
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I love how Mika implements his way of singing his song. He is just so good and this song never failed me to keep that admiration for him. A must-heard!