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,
remember when i felt like goin' out?
remember when i had all these things to figure out?
you struck me blind.
how blind could i have been?
how blind could i have been?
reason strikes again.
still i may never feel like myself again.
there's a dull ache in my side where you came in.
i blame myself.
how blind could i have been?
how blind could i have been?
reason strikes again.
man, we were on our way to the savior
to change our behavior.
the painting was peeling,
it fell from the ceiling
in pieces we ate and
the lead made us all go insane.
remember when i felt like caving in?
there's a broken bleeding body where you've been.
made up my mind.
how blind could i have been?
how blind could i have been?
reason strikes again.
man, we were on our way to the savior
to change our behavior.
the painting was peeling,
it fell from the ceiling
in pieces we ate and
the lead made us all go insane.
man, we were on our way to the savior
to change our behavior.
the painting was peeling,
it fell from the ceiling
in pieces we ate and
the lead made us all go insane.
and the lead made us all go insane.
remember when i had all these things to figure out?
you struck me blind.
how blind could i have been?
how blind could i have been?
reason strikes again.
still i may never feel like myself again.
there's a dull ache in my side where you came in.
i blame myself.
how blind could i have been?
how blind could i have been?
reason strikes again.
man, we were on our way to the savior
to change our behavior.
the painting was peeling,
it fell from the ceiling
in pieces we ate and
the lead made us all go insane.
remember when i felt like caving in?
there's a broken bleeding body where you've been.
made up my mind.
how blind could i have been?
how blind could i have been?
reason strikes again.
man, we were on our way to the savior
to change our behavior.
the painting was peeling,
it fell from the ceiling
in pieces we ate and
the lead made us all go insane.
man, we were on our way to the savior
to change our behavior.
the painting was peeling,
it fell from the ceiling
in pieces we ate and
the lead made us all go insane.
and the lead made us all go insane.
Lyrics submitted by punkmebabygal
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
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
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.
Somewhere Only We Know
Keane
Keane
Per the FAQ on Keane's website, Keane's drummer Richard Hughes, stated the following:
"We've been asked whether "Somewhere Only We Know" is about a specific place, and Tim has been saying that, for him, or us as individuals, it might be about a geographical space, or a feeling; it can mean something individual to each person, and they can interpret it to a memory of theirs... It's perhaps more of a theme rather than a specific message... Feelings that may be universal, without necessarily being totally specific to us, or a place, or a time..."
With the nostalgic sentiment and the overall tone of the song, I think Keane is attempting to express a Portuguese term known as 'saudade', which does not have a direct English translation but roughly means "that which we remember because it is gone."