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,
You said the world was magic
I was wide-eyed and laughing
We were dancing up to the bright side
Forget about your ego
Forget about your pride
And you will never have to compromise
And you were only joking
You were only joking brother
We talked about our mothers
Kissed the wounds of our fathers
I could have been your sister
I would have been your brother
You kissed me like I was a soldier
Headed for a war
I dying man but I don't know what for
And you were only joking
You were only joking brother
You were only joking
(Wide-eyed and laughing)
You were only joking brother
(Dancing up to the bright side)
Gravel and glass on the bottom of my feet
I bruised my heels on the swollen street
We were girls in bars
Boys on the town
Bumping like a pinball off a careless crowd
You said good friends are hard to come by
I laughed and bought you a beer
It's too corny to cry
Well sentiment given
Oh sentiment lost
You shake it off with a smirk and a toss
And you were only joking
You were only joking brother
You were only joking
Were only joking brother
And you were only joking
(gravel and glass on the bottom of my feet)
You were only joking brother
(I bruised my heels on the swollen street)
You kissed me like a soldier heading for a war
(Joking)
I'm a dying man
(You were only joking)
And you were only joking
(Don't know what for)
(Dying man)
You were only joking brother
(Don't know what for)
And you were only
And you were only
And you were only joking
Brother
One two three four
Ah yeah
(Wide eyed and laughing)
Sha la
(Dancing up to the bright side)
Sha la
(wide eyed and laughing)
Sha la
(dancing up to the bright side)
I was wide-eyed and laughing
We were dancing up to the bright side
Forget about your ego
Forget about your pride
And you will never have to compromise
And you were only joking
You were only joking brother
We talked about our mothers
Kissed the wounds of our fathers
I could have been your sister
I would have been your brother
You kissed me like I was a soldier
Headed for a war
I dying man but I don't know what for
And you were only joking
You were only joking brother
You were only joking
(Wide-eyed and laughing)
You were only joking brother
(Dancing up to the bright side)
Gravel and glass on the bottom of my feet
I bruised my heels on the swollen street
We were girls in bars
Boys on the town
Bumping like a pinball off a careless crowd
You said good friends are hard to come by
I laughed and bought you a beer
It's too corny to cry
Well sentiment given
Oh sentiment lost
You shake it off with a smirk and a toss
And you were only joking
You were only joking brother
You were only joking
Were only joking brother
And you were only joking
(gravel and glass on the bottom of my feet)
You were only joking brother
(I bruised my heels on the swollen street)
You kissed me like a soldier heading for a war
(Joking)
I'm a dying man
(You were only joking)
And you were only joking
(Don't know what for)
(Dying man)
You were only joking brother
(Don't know what for)
And you were only
And you were only
And you were only joking
Brother
One two three four
Ah yeah
(Wide eyed and laughing)
Sha la
(Dancing up to the bright side)
Sha la
(wide eyed and laughing)
Sha la
(dancing up to the bright side)
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This is about two people who had a deep and meaningful conversation about life or philosophy. Since it can be scary and uncomfortable to think about big things beyond your control, so later after the conversation was over one person closed their mind to the conversation and tried to forget about it. When the other person tried to bring it up again, the first one tried to pass it off like nothing happened - "Oh, I was only joking" - rather than admitting that they took these big issues seriously. The line that seems to sum it up to me is 'Sentiment given and sentiment lost, you shake it off'