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,
There was this girl I dug, I thought was cool
She would always say "hello" to me at school
And one day I asked her on a date
Though we never kissed, the evening was great
From then on, I thought she may have dug me too
From the way she'd cheer me up when I seem blue
But as it turned out she was just playing
Emotionally and physically she didn't feel like staying
With me, at all, as more than a friend
And let me tell you when I knew it had come to an end
And after finding out who she really wanted
It left feeling depressed and haunting
And this is the part that I swear is true
I met the one that she dug her name was Betty Sue
And I was left alone like a lonely baboon
Which made me so upset I wrote this tune
[Chorus]
Ahhhhh I can't take this!
Ahhhhh I don't need this!
Yo I like learning
And I like knowledge
And one day I plan to go to college
I try hard for a high GPA
And try to learn new stuff everyday
So I took this course on the SAT
To improve my score exponentially
To learn new methods students work like dogs
And they become the anti-Joe-Bloggs
And eventually I thought I figured out
What getting a perfect score was all about
So I signed up to take the test
And the day before I got plenty of rest
But I was quite let down when halfway through
I found answer question 1 on bubble number 2
And subsequently each answer was wrong
Which made me so upset I wrote this song
As you could've guessed I make CDs
And often promote them with MP3s
Sometimes I'll stick them on a CD-ROM
Or put my newest tracks on mp3.com
And sometimes I will get dropped a line
From people who bump my stuff all the time
Like the day I got this email straight from France
From this guy who wanted to give me a chance
And put out a record with some Lars tracks he heard
He seemed serious, or so I inferred
He said the EP would be five tracks long
And thought that its sales just might be strong
I said "yes of course man, where do I sign?"
He promised to send me a contract in time
But never again did he contact me
Which pissed me off so much I wrote this ditty
She would always say "hello" to me at school
And one day I asked her on a date
Though we never kissed, the evening was great
From then on, I thought she may have dug me too
From the way she'd cheer me up when I seem blue
But as it turned out she was just playing
Emotionally and physically she didn't feel like staying
With me, at all, as more than a friend
And let me tell you when I knew it had come to an end
And after finding out who she really wanted
It left feeling depressed and haunting
And this is the part that I swear is true
I met the one that she dug her name was Betty Sue
And I was left alone like a lonely baboon
Which made me so upset I wrote this tune
[Chorus]
Ahhhhh I can't take this!
Ahhhhh I don't need this!
Yo I like learning
And I like knowledge
And one day I plan to go to college
I try hard for a high GPA
And try to learn new stuff everyday
So I took this course on the SAT
To improve my score exponentially
To learn new methods students work like dogs
And they become the anti-Joe-Bloggs
And eventually I thought I figured out
What getting a perfect score was all about
So I signed up to take the test
And the day before I got plenty of rest
But I was quite let down when halfway through
I found answer question 1 on bubble number 2
And subsequently each answer was wrong
Which made me so upset I wrote this song
As you could've guessed I make CDs
And often promote them with MP3s
Sometimes I'll stick them on a CD-ROM
Or put my newest tracks on mp3.com
And sometimes I will get dropped a line
From people who bump my stuff all the time
Like the day I got this email straight from France
From this guy who wanted to give me a chance
And put out a record with some Lars tracks he heard
He seemed serious, or so I inferred
He said the EP would be five tracks long
And thought that its sales just might be strong
I said "yes of course man, where do I sign?"
He promised to send me a contract in time
But never again did he contact me
Which pissed me off so much I wrote this ditty
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.