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,
Wow!
Before your life is over
Know this to be true
All the hate we hold inside
Still won't save your youth
Don't waste your time on tragedy
Easy to forget
Time has lost and numb these thoughts
Are worth the price to live
One day at a time
One day at a time
Listen when we're calling
Your time has arrived
Our days are numbered
In a world of fools
We feel the hunger
And follow no ones rules
Everybody wants eternal life
Nobody can seem to get it right, oh
Our days are numbered and you're no fool
(Nobody's fool)
Memberships to got full
That they preach to you
Living like a demon
Put and left to proof
You can live your life in heaven
Or create your hell
We will write our end result
With every tale we tell
One day at a time
One day at a time
Listen when we're calling,
Your time has arrived
Our days are numbered
In a world of fools
We feel the hunger
And follow no ones rules
Everybody wants eternal life
Nobody can seem to get it right, oh
Our days are numbered and you're no fool
(Nobody's fool)
(Hey!)
These steps, we take, to be fearless
Are yours, life is yours
When death's at stake, you'll be fearless
Be sure life is yours
Our days are numbered
In a world of fools
We feel the hunger
And follow no ones rules
Everybody wants eternal life
Nobody can seem to get it right, oh
Our days are numbered and you're no fool
Nobody's fool
Nobody's fool
Nobody's fool
Before your life is over
Know this to be true
All the hate we hold inside
Still won't save your youth
Don't waste your time on tragedy
Easy to forget
Time has lost and numb these thoughts
Are worth the price to live
One day at a time
One day at a time
Listen when we're calling
Your time has arrived
Our days are numbered
In a world of fools
We feel the hunger
And follow no ones rules
Everybody wants eternal life
Nobody can seem to get it right, oh
Our days are numbered and you're no fool
(Nobody's fool)
Memberships to got full
That they preach to you
Living like a demon
Put and left to proof
You can live your life in heaven
Or create your hell
We will write our end result
With every tale we tell
One day at a time
One day at a time
Listen when we're calling,
Your time has arrived
Our days are numbered
In a world of fools
We feel the hunger
And follow no ones rules
Everybody wants eternal life
Nobody can seem to get it right, oh
Our days are numbered and you're no fool
(Nobody's fool)
(Hey!)
These steps, we take, to be fearless
Are yours, life is yours
When death's at stake, you'll be fearless
Be sure life is yours
Our days are numbered
In a world of fools
We feel the hunger
And follow no ones rules
Everybody wants eternal life
Nobody can seem to get it right, oh
Our days are numbered and you're no fool
Nobody's fool
Nobody's fool
Nobody's fool
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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.
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.
This song is explaining how childhood and the teenage years don't last forever. It is saying that all people die, but you need to live your life as you. This song is the rebel call of teens everywhere. They are saying that even though adults are suppressing you, you need to just be you and fight like hell to keep it that way.