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,
Make a wish on our sorry little hearts
Have a smoke, pour a drink, steal a kiss in the dark
Fingernails on my skin like the teeth of a shark
I'm intoxicated by the lie
In the chill of your stare I am painfully lost
Like a deer in the lights of an oncoming bus
For the thrill of your touch I will shamefully lust
As you tell me we're nothing but trouble
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all, whoa
Fail-safe trigger, lock-down call
Wipe the drive, clean-slate
Quick, sound the alarm
No escape from the truth
And the weight of it all
I am caught in the web of a lie
And the bitch of it all is that I'm running from
The desire of the people to whom I belong
At the end of the day you can tell me I'm wrong
'Cause you went to all the trouble
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all, whoa
(Let's go!)
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
It feels like war
(It feels like war)
Love feels like war
(Love feels like war)
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Love feels like war
Feels like war, war
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Love feels like war
Feels like war, war
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
Is this the end of us
Or just the means to start again?
Have a smoke, pour a drink, steal a kiss in the dark
Fingernails on my skin like the teeth of a shark
I'm intoxicated by the lie
In the chill of your stare I am painfully lost
Like a deer in the lights of an oncoming bus
For the thrill of your touch I will shamefully lust
As you tell me we're nothing but trouble
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all, whoa
Fail-safe trigger, lock-down call
Wipe the drive, clean-slate
Quick, sound the alarm
No escape from the truth
And the weight of it all
I am caught in the web of a lie
And the bitch of it all is that I'm running from
The desire of the people to whom I belong
At the end of the day you can tell me I'm wrong
'Cause you went to all the trouble
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Feels like war, war
Feels like war, war
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all, whoa
(Let's go!)
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
It feels like war
(It feels like war)
Love feels like war
(Love feels like war)
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Love feels like war
Feels like war, war
Hearts on fire tonight
Feel my bones ignite
Love feels like war
Feels like war, war
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
We go together or we don't go down at all
Is this the end of us
Or just the means to start again?
Lyrics submitted by thoseguiltyeyes, edited by laurynnicolexo, tonytheturtle, jalexphangirl, DestroyerAl, Allycattaylor, ghostmanon3, momo2401, Savvy2001
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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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Midnight
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Midnight” is a song about finding a love that is so true that it provides a calming feeling through every storm. Ed Sheeran reflects on his good fortunes in landing someone with such peace and support and speaks of not fearing the dark days because he knows they’ll all end in the safety nets of her arms.
“Well, good morning there / What a way to start the day / With everything laid bare,” Ed Sheeran sings in the first verse, enthusiastic to be waking up beside his woman. He apologizes for missing her calls in the second verse and promises to return them because for him, speaking to her is the most important thing. “Well, I get lost inside my head / In this chaos, you’re my calm / And I will find my feet again / ‘Cause еven the worst days of my life will always еnd / At midnight in your arms,” sings Ed Sheeran in the chorus, revelling in his good luck.
These aren't the lyrics. Really? Sounds more like Tech N9ne or ICP than a song ATL would ever sing