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,
So I thank God that I'm alive
Almost every day and night
He keeps me nice and warm and safe inside
And when I die all of my friends
Will come and their last goodbyes
Tell me all the things they couldn't say when I was alive
Well I'm not a man and I won't be
'Cause on the day I turned thirteen
I realized no man is the man they want to be
So tell me where you think I stand
Tell me everything I plan
Won't turn to dirt and fall to pieces in my hand
And you know me too well
You know me better than I know myself
You know me too well
You know me better than I know myself
So break my arms and crush my knees
To get your message through to me
Make me curl up and bawl myself to sleep
'Cause I'm nowhere without your sweet touch
And without his righteous hand on us
So come on, let me fall and tell him this was too much
And you know me too well
You know me better than I know myself
You know me too well
You know me better than I know myself
So I thank God that I'm alive
Almost every day and night
He keeps me nice and warm and safe inside
Almost every day and night
He keeps me nice and warm and safe inside
And when I die all of my friends
Will come and their last goodbyes
Tell me all the things they couldn't say when I was alive
Well I'm not a man and I won't be
'Cause on the day I turned thirteen
I realized no man is the man they want to be
So tell me where you think I stand
Tell me everything I plan
Won't turn to dirt and fall to pieces in my hand
And you know me too well
You know me better than I know myself
You know me too well
You know me better than I know myself
So break my arms and crush my knees
To get your message through to me
Make me curl up and bawl myself to sleep
'Cause I'm nowhere without your sweet touch
And without his righteous hand on us
So come on, let me fall and tell him this was too much
And you know me too well
You know me better than I know myself
You know me too well
You know me better than I know myself
So I thank God that I'm alive
Almost every day and night
He keeps me nice and warm and safe inside
Lyrics submitted by llscience
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