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,
I kneel before the green light
Of her singing crayon eyes
And then I kiss her stomach
And it's then I realize:
Her light is the night
I'm not blind, I believe in you
I see a green light
I see a green light
I see a green light
Of her singing crayon eyes
And then I kiss her stomach
And it's then I realize:
Her light is the night
I'm not blind, I believe in you
I see a green light
I see a green light
I see a green light
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
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
"a single green light, minute and faraway, that might have been the end of a dock." -The Great Gatsby
if you've read The Great Gatsby then you see all of the connections and ties to it in this song:
"I kneel before the green light of her singing crayon eyes" in the book the green light represented Gatsby's view of Daisy and how she was the gateway to all of his dreams about the happiness he had once felt with her. And then JT Eckleburge's eyes on the bill board represented God (or something ubiquitous) that watched over the Valley of Ashes and the moral decay of society due to the "American dream."
"and then i kiss her stomach and it's then i realize her light is the night" Gatsby would stare at the green light on the end of Daisy's dock (her home) and one day Nick (the narrator) saw him doing this and reaching out his hand at the same time as if trying to reach for Daisy who was all the way across the lake.
"i'm not blind" Daisy was very aware of her trophy wife position in life and once said (about having a baby girl) "I hope she'll be a fool--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool... You see, I think everything's terrible anyhow... And I know. I've been everywhere and seen everything and done everything."
"i believe in you" this could relate to what Nick commented about Gatsby's smile: "He smiled understandingly-much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced--or seemed to face--the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself."
"i see a green light i see a green light i see a green light" I see this relating to (because of the repetition) how Gatsby was set on the fact that Daisy was his means to an end for acheiving the "American Dream" (common theme in the book) and how he so badly wanted to feel the way he once did with her when he was young; "Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!" -Gatsby