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,
Your emptiness overwhelms me
Thrusts and overtakes me
This shrine of black tears
Within a vault of black prayers
The universe caves in; I’m on fire
Let the end begin; take courage!
And when nothing remains
No love nor pain
In this illusion
This tomb of seasoned dye
The universe caves in; I’m on fire
Let the end begin; take courage!
From the slow decay of life
To the galloping empty days
I would have flung myself in the fire
But I hesitate
And the antimatter within my heart
From this nothing leaves, nothing enters
The useless lingering and severed love
This lit de parade
A carrion flower dressed in the sun
A blinding image bathed in providence
And should you stray from the path
You shall know them by their fruits
I should have flung myself in the fire, I really should
I should have flung myself in the fire, I really should
Thrusts and overtakes me
This shrine of black tears
Within a vault of black prayers
The universe caves in; I’m on fire
Let the end begin; take courage!
And when nothing remains
No love nor pain
In this illusion
This tomb of seasoned dye
The universe caves in; I’m on fire
Let the end begin; take courage!
From the slow decay of life
To the galloping empty days
I would have flung myself in the fire
But I hesitate
And the antimatter within my heart
From this nothing leaves, nothing enters
The useless lingering and severed love
This lit de parade
A carrion flower dressed in the sun
A blinding image bathed in providence
And should you stray from the path
You shall know them by their fruits
I should have flung myself in the fire, I really should
I should have flung myself in the fire, I really should
Lyrics submitted by Psychonomaly
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