Lyric discussion by sideshow 

Cover art for Tarpit lyrics by Dinosaur Jr.

Here's what I got on the lyrics,

Hey what's bubling down under there? Why's it screaming? What's unfair? Please excuse it, forget and hide let the shellfish swell inside hatch it out now, watch it squirm it's askin me what's that I learned

Stay inside, pull me out of space trip me - sprinkling, grey stay and paint my fate

thought I knew you, stuck out my hand you bit, whish I could understand it's a twisted feelin' that's there and gone now it's time to burn the hope i've stored wait for me there, the gash and run still your righteousness won't be out done

Stay inside, pull me out of space, trip me - sprinkling, grey, stay and paint my fate

paint my fate (repeated)

My guess is that the song is about a bad relationship (maybe it feels like a Tarpit)

The first verse seems to be about something (a feeling, hunch or emotion?) building that one doesn't want to admit, but it gets under their skin (like an oyster with a grain of sand maybe? shellfish? swell? just a thought) before eventually surfacing in all it's uglyness. they blame themselves for not having learned their lesson the last time.

The second verse seems to be about being hopeful about someone/something, trusting them/it and only getting hurt/betrayed because of it. The other party acts deviously/maliciously (wait for me there, the gash and run...) but still pretends/portrays themself as righteous and irreproachable.

I have no Idea what the chorus is about; maybe being inside on a rainy day (sprinkling, grey), trying to express the feeling of going from cloud 9, to flat on your face?

or maybe I'm reading way to much into this.