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,
Is your jewelry still lost in the sand
Out on the coast, or rushed into the brine?
You left your rings on the shoreline
So you wouldn't lose 'em swimming in the shallows
A plastic shovel, soft sweaty children far from home
On vacation, not unlike your very own
And Captain Howdy lit upon my shoulder
And he left me with sulfur and rooms full of headaches
I fell in with snakes in the poisoned ranks of strangers
Please send me more yellow birds for the dim interior
Will my pony recognize my voice in hell?
Will he still be blind, or do they go by smell?
Will you promise me not to rest me out at sea
But on a fiery river boat that's rickety?
I'll never find my pony along the roiling swells
A muddy river or a lake would do me well
With hints of amber sundowns and muted thunderstorms
A sunken barge's horns, with the cold and rusty bells
Out on the coast, or rushed into the brine?
You left your rings on the shoreline
So you wouldn't lose 'em swimming in the shallows
A plastic shovel, soft sweaty children far from home
On vacation, not unlike your very own
And Captain Howdy lit upon my shoulder
And he left me with sulfur and rooms full of headaches
I fell in with snakes in the poisoned ranks of strangers
Please send me more yellow birds for the dim interior
Will my pony recognize my voice in hell?
Will he still be blind, or do they go by smell?
Will you promise me not to rest me out at sea
But on a fiery river boat that's rickety?
I'll never find my pony along the roiling swells
A muddy river or a lake would do me well
With hints of amber sundowns and muted thunderstorms
A sunken barge's horns, with the cold and rusty bells
Lyrics submitted by Tiger_Angel
More Yellow Birds Lyrics as written by Mark Linkous
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Considering Mark came from a family background of coal miners, "Mork's" theory is definitely correct. This is a beautiful, beautiful song. R.I.P.