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 am a youth that's inclined to ramble
To some foreign country, I mean to steer
I am loath to part from my friends and comrades
And my dear sweetheart, whom I loved dear
But there's one of those, I do most admire
One her, I'll think when I'm far away
For since fates decreed, I am resolved to part her
And try my fortune in Americay
So farewell, darling, I must leave you
I place great dependence on your constancy
That no other young man may gain your favor
Or change your mind when I am over the sea
For although the seas do separate us
And in between us, they do rise and fall
If fortune favors me you'll find your Jamie
Returning homeward from Americay
Oh Jamie dear, do you remember
When I sat with you for many the hour
And my young fancy away was carried
And the bees hummed around on each opening flower
But when you're crossing the western ocean
The maid that loved you, you'll never mind eva'
And you'll scarce ever think upon the maids of Erin
For you'll find strange sweethearts in America
Oh Mary dear, I don't dissemble
For to all other fair maids, I'll prove untrue
And if you think that these are false promise
I'll leave these vows as a pledge to you
That what I have may prove unsuccessful
And fortune prove to me a slippery ball
That a favoring gale it may never blow on me
If forsake you in America
And to conclude and to end these verses
May God protect this young female fair
And keep her from every wild embarrassment
And of, my darling, take the greatest care
For she's slow to anger and of kind disposition
And her cheeks like roses in June do blow
In my nightly slumbers when ever I think on her
I could court her vision in America
To some foreign country, I mean to steer
I am loath to part from my friends and comrades
And my dear sweetheart, whom I loved dear
But there's one of those, I do most admire
One her, I'll think when I'm far away
For since fates decreed, I am resolved to part her
And try my fortune in Americay
So farewell, darling, I must leave you
I place great dependence on your constancy
That no other young man may gain your favor
Or change your mind when I am over the sea
For although the seas do separate us
And in between us, they do rise and fall
If fortune favors me you'll find your Jamie
Returning homeward from Americay
Oh Jamie dear, do you remember
When I sat with you for many the hour
And my young fancy away was carried
And the bees hummed around on each opening flower
But when you're crossing the western ocean
The maid that loved you, you'll never mind eva'
And you'll scarce ever think upon the maids of Erin
For you'll find strange sweethearts in America
Oh Mary dear, I don't dissemble
For to all other fair maids, I'll prove untrue
And if you think that these are false promise
I'll leave these vows as a pledge to you
That what I have may prove unsuccessful
And fortune prove to me a slippery ball
That a favoring gale it may never blow on me
If forsake you in America
And to conclude and to end these verses
May God protect this young female fair
And keep her from every wild embarrassment
And of, my darling, take the greatest care
For she's slow to anger and of kind disposition
And her cheeks like roses in June do blow
In my nightly slumbers when ever I think on her
I could court her vision in America
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
I Am a Youth That's Inclined to Ramble Lyrics as written by Sam Lakeman Cara Dillon
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.