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One of Dino Jr's best and the acoustic version on J Mascis' album Martin + Me is also great. For me this is a straightforward confession and apology from a chronically depressed man to his lover whom he knows he cannot ever give the active, energetic love he so wants to give. In many ways he hates himself: the excuses he cannot stop offering, the moods when he cannot stand to be around anyone at all.

Some of the references are oblique to me; no idea what the thumb means or what the ingredients are. But it is clear that this singer often can't even make it out of bed, string together his words, or be kind to the ones he is close to. The upbeat passage is his understanding that although he despises the way he feels, he understands that he is still bringing something important to his lover and he accepts himself in his deeply flawed state.

No comments? I like the song.

My interpretation is having the mediocre life. Nothing too exciting, nothing too depressing, so it leaks to a sort of dull boring life. But the narrator always has his girlfriend to at least make it worthwhile

I personally believe the live version of this song is better than the studio album version.

As for the song, to me it’s about depression. “There never really is a good time. And there’s always nothing much to say. Pretty good, not doing that fine, getting up most every day.” When you’re depressed you tend to stay in bed. This is coming from someone who battles depression daily. It’s constant, you don’t want to deal with the outside world. So when someone asks you how you’re doing it’s usually a go to just to say “Pretty good.” “Stepping out I tried to fix it, pull the thumb out of that hole, give me ingredients I’ll mix it. How can you move without a goal?” Basically it’s dealing with the everyday or whatever problems you have to face. “An excuse is all you’re in for. The abuse is all you crave. Sure you know just what is in store. Wait and see if I behave.” Sounds like a message to the person who put you through hell and left you depressed. But overall wants you to get over it and deal. That’s just my opinion. Let me know if yours differs.

It sounds like a heroin addict to me. Ppl that are addicts usually suffer from depression as well. The beginning of the song, There never really is a good time, always nothing much to say, etc, to me, that's how ppl who suffer from depression & addiction live. Also I think he's an addict talking to another who is in withdrawal. He steps out to help them, "I tried to fix it" which when heroin addicts do their dope it's called a fix. Pulled the thumb out of the hole, give me the ingredients I'll mix it... there he is mixing their shot for them & honestly, to me, sounds like they've never shot it with a needle & he's helping them do it. Addicts always have excuses for why they use & the abuse is all they crave. He's saying you know what's in store with doing dope & obviously they don't behave. Towards the end it sounds like he is saying that when the person learns to control the needle without help that he'll be happy that he was the one who showed them how to do it & to do it properly because obviously being an intravenous drug addict is dangerous. Apart from the fact there's a chance of overdose, if their dope isn't fixed & drawn into the needle properly & can cause a lot of health issues not to mention, the actual putting the needle into your veins yourself. Scary stuff. I'm not saying that this is exactly what this song is about, I'm just giving my interpretation of it. Also Dinosaur Jr is a 90s band where growing up all the bands I listened to back then were heroin addicts. Nirvana, Hole, Blind Melon, Alice In Chains, Sublime, etc. So that's another reason why I think it may be about addiction. Stay safe everyone.