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,
Hanging about
Down the market street
I spent a lot of time on my feet
When I saw some passing yabbos
We did chance to speak
I knew how to sing
Why' know an
They knew how to pose
An' one of them had a Les Paul
Heart attack machine
All the young punks
Laugh your life
'Cause there ain't much to cry for
All the young cunts
Live it now
'Cause there ain't much to die for
Everybody wants to bum
A ride on the rock 'n' roller coaster
And we went out
Got our name in small print on the poster
Of course we got a manger
Though he ain't the mafia
A contract is a contract
When they get 'em out on yer
You gotta drag yourself to work
Drag yourself to sleep
You're dead from the neck up
By the middle of the week
Face front you got the future shining
Like a piece of gold
But I swear as we get closer
It look more like a lump of coal
But it's better than some factory
Now that's no place to waste your youth
I worked there for a week once
I luckily got the boot
Down the market street
I spent a lot of time on my feet
When I saw some passing yabbos
We did chance to speak
I knew how to sing
Why' know an
They knew how to pose
An' one of them had a Les Paul
Heart attack machine
All the young punks
Laugh your life
'Cause there ain't much to cry for
All the young cunts
Live it now
'Cause there ain't much to die for
Everybody wants to bum
A ride on the rock 'n' roller coaster
And we went out
Got our name in small print on the poster
Of course we got a manger
Though he ain't the mafia
A contract is a contract
When they get 'em out on yer
You gotta drag yourself to work
Drag yourself to sleep
You're dead from the neck up
By the middle of the week
Face front you got the future shining
Like a piece of gold
But I swear as we get closer
It look more like a lump of coal
But it's better than some factory
Now that's no place to waste your youth
I worked there for a week once
I luckily got the boot
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The ad libs at the end are: "feeling bad for 3 to 4 days, feeling sad for 3 to 4 more, feeling hazy for 45 minutes, feeling crazy for 45 more we've been dancing all night long,waiting in the corner 'cause something's wrong, don't wanna get up and see that dawn...like the day before. A spliff, a pound, a half a pint of brown, this is the way we spell CAMDEN TOWN! I shouldn't speed it's not my need, feeling crazy for 45 more" [god love ya Joe!]