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,
They cried the tears, they shed the fears
Up and down the land
They stole guitars or used guitars
So the tape would understand
Without even the slightest hope of a thousand sales
Just as if there was a Hitsville in UK
Know the boy was all alone, till the Hitsville UK
They say true talent will always emerge in time
When lightening hits small wonder
It's fast rough factory trade
No expense accounts, or lunch discounts
Or hypeing up the charts
The band went in 'n' knocked 'em dead in two minutes and fifty-nine
No slimey deals, with smarmy eels, in Hitsville UK
Let's shake 'n' say we'll operate in Hitsville UK
The mutants, creeps and muscle men
Are shaking like a leaf
It blows a hole in the radio
When it hasn't sounded good all week
A mike 'n' boom, in your living room - in Hitsville UK
No consumer trials, or A.O.R. in Hitsville UK
Now the boys and girls are not alone
Now the Hitsvilles hit UK
Up and down the land
They stole guitars or used guitars
So the tape would understand
Without even the slightest hope of a thousand sales
Just as if there was a Hitsville in UK
Know the boy was all alone, till the Hitsville UK
They say true talent will always emerge in time
When lightening hits small wonder
It's fast rough factory trade
No expense accounts, or lunch discounts
Or hypeing up the charts
The band went in 'n' knocked 'em dead in two minutes and fifty-nine
No slimey deals, with smarmy eels, in Hitsville UK
Let's shake 'n' say we'll operate in Hitsville UK
The mutants, creeps and muscle men
Are shaking like a leaf
It blows a hole in the radio
When it hasn't sounded good all week
A mike 'n' boom, in your living room - in Hitsville UK
No consumer trials, or A.O.R. in Hitsville UK
Now the boys and girls are not alone
Now the Hitsvilles hit UK
Lyrics submitted by aebassist, edited by Mellow_Harsher, jpaulo
Hitsville UK Lyrics as written by Mick Jones Joe Strummer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is about the beginning of independent record labels.
Small Wonder was an indie record label that brought us The Cure.
Rough Trade was another label that helped make The Smiths famous.
Factory brought us Joy Division/New Order and the Happy Mondays.
It's amazing what Google and 5 minutes of research will do.
The one other label mentioned that you didn't is Fast Product, which was the small Sheffield label which The Mekons and The Human League began on.
Aside from those four labels mentioned in the lyrics (When lightening hits small wonder/Its fast, rough factory trade) the single's cover also references various other small labels like Postcard (perhaps the best known indie label at the time not mentioned in the lyrics), Fetish, Object Music and Tent.