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,
Save up, until you've had it
Your purse gone, but you won't go on
Brought down with a force of nature
Breathing off my lung
It's not easy to like it
(It's not easy to like it)
It's not easy at all (It's not easy at all)
It's not easy to like it at all
Fill up to the limit
Winter has come as an appetite
Money clips, equipped with paper
Pockets brimming and tight
It's not easy to like it
(It's not easy to like it)
It's not easy at all (It's not easy at all)
It's not easy to like it at all
It's not easy to like it
(It's not easy to like it)
It's not easy at all (It's not easy at all)
It's not easy to like it at all
(Breathing off of my lung)
(When you breathe off of my lung)
Save up, until you've had it offers come
But you won't go on
Brought down (It's not easy to like it)
With a force of nature
Breathing off of my lung
It's not easy at all it's not easy at all
Your purse gone, but you won't go on
Brought down with a force of nature
Breathing off my lung
It's not easy to like it
(It's not easy to like it)
It's not easy at all (It's not easy at all)
It's not easy to like it at all
Fill up to the limit
Winter has come as an appetite
Money clips, equipped with paper
Pockets brimming and tight
It's not easy to like it
(It's not easy to like it)
It's not easy at all (It's not easy at all)
It's not easy to like it at all
It's not easy to like it
(It's not easy to like it)
It's not easy at all (It's not easy at all)
It's not easy to like it at all
(Breathing off of my lung)
(When you breathe off of my lung)
Save up, until you've had it offers come
But you won't go on
Brought down (It's not easy to like it)
With a force of nature
Breathing off of my lung
It's not easy at all it's not easy at all
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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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
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.
Why haven't I heard a bad DC song? I have 35 of them and each one of them is better than the last. Amen for people that know how to write lyrics.
yea this song is kind of eerie... i think it is the low-quality sound. but yea, i know what you mean.
you know...i found this song kind of...disturbing at first, but i thought it was because i'd read goonie's comment on it before i listened to it. but now...i've heard it again and again and it still sounds eerie. lol i thought that was odd. hm.
i'm not really sure what to think of this song. at first i couldn't even hear the song on my CD, so i had to download it and get the lyrics. i'm confused. but the song is still awesome. -sara-
i agree the song is awsome. yeah it is abit eeire
eerieness is cool
I don't think eerie is the word for it, i htink it is interesting just because it wasn't recorded in a studio. Thats gotta mean something... to Chris i mean,,,
i'm a big fan of this lo-fi song, it's kind of catchy, you know?
yeah it's alright but I have no clue what it's about.
yeah me niether...