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,
There were 87 Advil in the bottle now there's 30 left
I ate 47 so what happened to the other 10?
Why do you suspiciously change the subject and break my concentration
As I dump the bottle out and I count the Advil up again?
Don't interrupt me as I struggle to complete this thought
Have some respect for someone more forgetful than yourself
And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Hitting every pocket on my shirt, pants and overcoat
And I'm hitting them again but I don't know where I put my notes
Clearing my throat, and gripping the lectern I smile and face my audience
Clearing his throat and smiling with his hands on the bathroom sink
And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall
I see stuff through the glass that I don't recognize at all
And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Though it may not be a long way off
I'm not done talking yet
I'm not done talking yet
And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall
I see a broken figure silhouetted on the wall
And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Though it may not be a long way off
I won't be done until my head falls off
I ate 47 so what happened to the other 10?
Why do you suspiciously change the subject and break my concentration
As I dump the bottle out and I count the Advil up again?
Don't interrupt me as I struggle to complete this thought
Have some respect for someone more forgetful than yourself
And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Hitting every pocket on my shirt, pants and overcoat
And I'm hitting them again but I don't know where I put my notes
Clearing my throat, and gripping the lectern I smile and face my audience
Clearing his throat and smiling with his hands on the bathroom sink
And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall
I see stuff through the glass that I don't recognize at all
And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Though it may not be a long way off
I'm not done talking yet
I'm not done talking yet
And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall
I see a broken figure silhouetted on the wall
And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Though it may not be a long way off
I won't be done until my head falls off
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first of all, these lyrics are slighty wrong, instead of "clearing my throat and dripping the liquer" it should read "clearing my throat and gripping the lectern" it makes more sense then. i believe its about a guy, trying to overdose on advil.