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,
I said:
"Man, can you help me out?
Bring me back to life
Bring me back to love,"
Oh, why should I care?
I said:
"How could you keep me out?
Without a wish to share
So without a doubt,"
Oh, then why should I care?
Oh, we have been warned
It's a classic sign
It's a wicked mind
With an axe to grind
Oh, when is it our, our turn?
So why should we care?
Yeah, we have been warned
It's a classic sign
Why should we care?
If this is our last summer
Oh, then why should we care?
If this could be our last summer
Then why should we care?
"Man, can you help me out?
Bring me back to life
Bring me back to love,"
Oh, why should I care?
I said:
"How could you keep me out?
Without a wish to share
So without a doubt,"
Oh, then why should I care?
Oh, we have been warned
It's a classic sign
It's a wicked mind
With an axe to grind
Oh, when is it our, our turn?
So why should we care?
Yeah, we have been warned
It's a classic sign
Why should we care?
If this is our last summer
Oh, then why should we care?
If this could be our last summer
Then why should we care?
Lyrics submitted by minkydave
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Trouble Breathing
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
While the obvious connections with suicide or alcoholism could be drawn easily, more subtly this song could be about someone who views the world through a negative lens constantly and how as much as the writer tries to show the beauty in the world, this person refuses to see it. It's one or another between the rope and the bottle. There is no good option for this person. They can't see it. Skiba sings it in a kind of exasperated way like He's tired of hearing this negative view constantly and just allowing that person to continue feeling the way they feel knowing he can't do anything about it. You can hear it when he says maybe you're a vampire.
I read Catch-22 last year... Snowden is a character who gets shot (the book is set during the war) and lies dying in the back of the plane from bullet wounds to the chest. His death haunts the main character, Yossarian, throughout the novel because he doesn't realize the extent of the injury before it's too late - Snowden's guts are about to pour out and all the while Yossarian has been attending to the wrong wound.
The first time I saw the song title I thought there might be a connection. Right near the start of the song, you can hear what sounds to me like anti-aircraft fire, followed by the words 'I said man, can you help me out? Bring me back to life'. At this point the parallels with Catch-22 seem clear. However, the remaining lyrics leave me guessing somewhat.
I was interested to see on another site someone's opinion that Doves took their inspiration from the mountain Snowdon, although this is obviously spelt differently from the title. I'm convinced it might have something to to with the character Snowden from Heller's Catch-22...
Looks like this is the second single from the 'Some Cities' album. I'd say it's about apathy, with other people stating their problems or potential problems that haven't come to him yet, but he just repeats the line 'why should i/we care?'
Snowden is a character from the novel Catch 22. I haven't read it so I don't know how relevant that is, but I guess it could be useful.
I think this is about the ending of a relationship.. 'If this could be our last summer then why should we care?' And also... 'bring me back to life bring me back to love'
I'm not too sure what this is all about, but the music that plays at the parts where he's not singing (i think it's strings doin' the 'waa waa waaaaaa' thing that I'm talkin' bout) sound to me like old school Star Trek music or something that would play in an old shcool James Bond flick if he was underwater or something.
peace
i totally understand you deadeyeduck. It makes for an awesome song though!
I haven't finished Catch-22, but as soon as I saw the name Snowden, I was reminded of this song. It's not often you see that name, I guess. I definitely see a lot of parallels to the scene described by peardrop and the song.
"We have been warned" could be just how the men became involved in the war despite their best attempts to involve it.
I think maybe Yossarian's turnaround in attitude - his loss of courage, his selfishness and ridiculousness, stemmed from Snowden's death (but like I said I haven't finished the book) "Oh when is it our turn? Why should we care?" Might have been something of Snowden's last words that really tweaked out Yossarian and made him want to avoid his time to die at any costs.
This song is so freaking brilliant. First I thought it was "son" and not "man" but maybe I'm wrong. The kind of song you have to listen to at least a couple of times in a row. Some Cities is officially my first ever CD. And man it is brilliant.
I think that it can be directly related to Catch-22, the entire song I mean. I think that instead of this being Snowden's words, it's Yossarian's. The "Man, can you help me out? Can you bring me back to life...ect" is Yossarian's first moment of panic, where he realizes he just wants to live, and not die like Snowden. Oh, and about the warning, I think that Snowden's death IS the warning. Also, "if this should be our last summer, then why should we care?" is Yossarian's thinking towards the war. Saying why should he care about the war? and why should he die for it? It's all relevant to Snowden's death in the novel, which was such an important thing. I really think that this entire song can be directly linked to Catch-22, but only the writer knows! :D
mmmm. it's my favorite song ever.