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 back, sitting on my doorstep,
Ah yeah like nothing ever happened.
Telling me you're free and oh,
Can you see me again?
Yeah right, You've been kicked out-
Do you think I'm that stupid?
You said you're free but oh oh oh,
I get tired of you kid...
Oh, I couldn't eat for days,
I cried so much my face
Has never been the same...
And now you're back here with your lies.
I hope you realize...
You think I'm gonna take you back!
You'd better do better than that.
I'll tell ya what it's gonna bring,
Don't you ever ever come near me.
Let me tell you how I've been:
I've been hiding from my friends...
Hiding from the world...
Hiding from myself...
You think you'll come round here,
Start singing in my ear,
Better do better than this way,
Or give some reason why,
You'd better do better than that.
Your face makes me want to be sick,
Ah yeah it's a physical reaction...
You'd better leave because you see I
Can't, won't be loving my actions.
Oh, how I ever loved you...
So dumb, how did I ever trust you?
We'll do the deal after we are yeah,
When you're laid together.
Oh, I couldn't eat for days,
I cried so much my face
Has never been the same...
And now you're back here with your lies.
I hope you realize...
You think I'm gonna take you back!
You'd better do better than that.
I'll tell ya what it's gonna bring,
Don't you ever ever come near me.
Let me tell you how I've been:
I've been hiding from my friends...
Hiding from the world...
Hiding from myself...
You think you'll come round here,
Start singing in my ear,
Better do better than this way,
Or give some reason why,
You'd better do better than that.
I gave you everything I had girl,
But you had to try and take some more,
You went behind my back girl,
Cheated on me, I was the last to know.
Did everything we had girl,
Meant nothing to ya,
Oh I was such a fool...
Now you come crawling back girl,
Oh let me tell ya I am through with you.
Oh I'm back up off the floor,
And I won't get hurt no more,
I've been waiting for this day when
You'd be back here with your lies,
I hope you realize...
You think I'm gonna take you back!
You'd better do better than that.
I'll tell ya what it's gonna bring,
Don't you ever ever come near me.
Let me tell you how I've been:
I've been hiding from my friends...
Hiding from the world...
Hiding from myself...
You think you'll come round here,
Start singing in my ear,
Better do better than this way,
Or give some reason why,
You'd better do better than that.
Say something, say something.
You'd better do better than that!
Ah yeah like nothing ever happened.
Telling me you're free and oh,
Can you see me again?
Yeah right, You've been kicked out-
Do you think I'm that stupid?
You said you're free but oh oh oh,
I get tired of you kid...
Oh, I couldn't eat for days,
I cried so much my face
Has never been the same...
And now you're back here with your lies.
I hope you realize...
You think I'm gonna take you back!
You'd better do better than that.
I'll tell ya what it's gonna bring,
Don't you ever ever come near me.
Let me tell you how I've been:
I've been hiding from my friends...
Hiding from the world...
Hiding from myself...
You think you'll come round here,
Start singing in my ear,
Better do better than this way,
Or give some reason why,
You'd better do better than that.
Your face makes me want to be sick,
Ah yeah it's a physical reaction...
You'd better leave because you see I
Can't, won't be loving my actions.
Oh, how I ever loved you...
So dumb, how did I ever trust you?
We'll do the deal after we are yeah,
When you're laid together.
Oh, I couldn't eat for days,
I cried so much my face
Has never been the same...
And now you're back here with your lies.
I hope you realize...
You think I'm gonna take you back!
You'd better do better than that.
I'll tell ya what it's gonna bring,
Don't you ever ever come near me.
Let me tell you how I've been:
I've been hiding from my friends...
Hiding from the world...
Hiding from myself...
You think you'll come round here,
Start singing in my ear,
Better do better than this way,
Or give some reason why,
You'd better do better than that.
I gave you everything I had girl,
But you had to try and take some more,
You went behind my back girl,
Cheated on me, I was the last to know.
Did everything we had girl,
Meant nothing to ya,
Oh I was such a fool...
Now you come crawling back girl,
Oh let me tell ya I am through with you.
Oh I'm back up off the floor,
And I won't get hurt no more,
I've been waiting for this day when
You'd be back here with your lies,
I hope you realize...
You think I'm gonna take you back!
You'd better do better than that.
I'll tell ya what it's gonna bring,
Don't you ever ever come near me.
Let me tell you how I've been:
I've been hiding from my friends...
Hiding from the world...
Hiding from myself...
You think you'll come round here,
Start singing in my ear,
Better do better than this way,
Or give some reason why,
You'd better do better than that.
Say something, say something.
You'd better do better than that!
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Better Do Better Lyrics as written by Richard Archer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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