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,
So you say you gotta know why the world goes 'round
And you can't find the truth in the things you've found
And you're scared shitless 'cause evil abounds
Come and join us
Well I heard you were looking for a place to fit in
Full of adherent people with the same objective
A family to cling to and call brethren
Come and join us
All we want to do is change your mind
All you need to do is close your eyes
So come and join us
Come and join us
Come and join us
Don't you see the trouble that most people are in
And that they just want you for their own advantage
But I swear to you we're different from all of them
Come and join us
I can tell you are lookin' for a way to live
Where truth is determined by consensus
Full of codified arbitrary directives
Come and join us
All we want to have is your small mind
Turn it into one of our own kind
You can go through life adrift and alone
Desperate, desolate, on your own
But we're lookin' for a few more stalwart clones
So come and join us
Come and join us
Come and join us
We've got spite and dedication as a vehement brew
The world hates us, well we hate them too
But you're exempted of course if you
Come and join us
Independent, self-contented, revolutionary
Intellectual, brave, strong and scholarly
If you're not one of them, you're us already so
Come and join us
And you can't find the truth in the things you've found
And you're scared shitless 'cause evil abounds
Come and join us
Well I heard you were looking for a place to fit in
Full of adherent people with the same objective
A family to cling to and call brethren
Come and join us
All we want to do is change your mind
All you need to do is close your eyes
So come and join us
Come and join us
Come and join us
Don't you see the trouble that most people are in
And that they just want you for their own advantage
But I swear to you we're different from all of them
Come and join us
I can tell you are lookin' for a way to live
Where truth is determined by consensus
Full of codified arbitrary directives
Come and join us
All we want to have is your small mind
Turn it into one of our own kind
You can go through life adrift and alone
Desperate, desolate, on your own
But we're lookin' for a few more stalwart clones
So come and join us
Come and join us
Come and join us
We've got spite and dedication as a vehement brew
The world hates us, well we hate them too
But you're exempted of course if you
Come and join us
Independent, self-contented, revolutionary
Intellectual, brave, strong and scholarly
If you're not one of them, you're us already so
Come and join us
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You guys are SOOOOOOOOOO wrong. Greg Graffin said himself what this song meant, I thought everybody knew it. This song is about joining punk movement. That's it.... it's the only meaning....