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,
Smile, you'll steal away my soul
Smile, I'll hide away and cry
My mind's made up
I will shudder to see your eyes
Smile no doubt I'll keep my pride
But It may be hard to find
There's nothing left
Handed down your legacy
But more regret
Painted on with empathy
Smile, don't complicate my time
Smile don't ask me if I'm fine
My world blown down
There is nothing that words can say
Smile, no doubt I'll keep my pride
But it may be hard to find
There's nothing left
Handed down your legacy
But more regret
Painted on with empathy
There's nothing left, there's nothing left
Smile, you'll steal away my soul
Smile, I'll hide away and cry
There's nothing left
Handed down your legacy
Smile, you'll steal away my soul
Smile, I'll hide away and cry
There's nothing left
Handed down your legacy
Smile, no doubt I'll keep my pride
But it may be hard to find
If only you had tried
Going to leave it far behind
It may be hard to find
If only you had tried
Going to leave it far behind
Smile, I'll hide away and cry
My mind's made up
I will shudder to see your eyes
Smile no doubt I'll keep my pride
But It may be hard to find
There's nothing left
Handed down your legacy
But more regret
Painted on with empathy
Smile, don't complicate my time
Smile don't ask me if I'm fine
My world blown down
There is nothing that words can say
Smile, no doubt I'll keep my pride
But it may be hard to find
There's nothing left
Handed down your legacy
But more regret
Painted on with empathy
There's nothing left, there's nothing left
Smile, you'll steal away my soul
Smile, I'll hide away and cry
There's nothing left
Handed down your legacy
Smile, you'll steal away my soul
Smile, I'll hide away and cry
There's nothing left
Handed down your legacy
Smile, no doubt I'll keep my pride
But it may be hard to find
If only you had tried
Going to leave it far behind
It may be hard to find
If only you had tried
Going to leave it far behind
Lyrics submitted by cupomilk413
Smile Lyrics as written by Ruth Ann Boyle Peter John Vettese
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I love this song. It's so sad, even though it's called Smile. Hah.
This really tugs on my heart-strings. It's like.. she's asking him to do anything but smile. Something's not right, so she's keeping her smile and leaving for some reason because she believes there's nothing left. But if she only sees him smile, then she knows she won't be able to leave anymore, he'll "steal away her soul" and she'll realise she's actually leaving.
Just my take, when you put it into a 'relationship' point of view.. or my situation at that. Lol.
I love this song. It's so sad, even though it's called Smile. Hah.
This really tugs on my heart-strings. It's like.. she's asking him to do anything but smile. Something's not right, so she's keeping her smile and leaving for some reason because she believes there's nothing left. But if she only sees him smile, then she knows she won't be able to leave anymore, he'll "steal away her soul" and she'll realise she's actually leaving.
Just my take, when you put it into a 'relationship' point of view.. or my situation at that. Lol.
Hah. I destroy everything will be ten comments here by the time I'm done Oh well, I love it. It deserves lots. But for teh record, I meant "keeping her pride" not "keeping her smile".....