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,
In my evil, little graveyard
There was writing on the wall
We were concocting 'round the cauldron
A dream that was to come
For fun, for fun, for fun, for fun
He fretted and he fronted
With an accidental charm
Till he had forgotten all the words
To his own monologue
For fun, for fun, for fun, for fun
When I heard the angel call
She put a needle in my bone
She dabbled in my marrow
I was convinced she was the balm
I knew she warded off evil
That would inevitably come
For fun, for fun, for fun, for fun
In the flash of a fall
It gave rise a lonely charge
That turned into a spark
That in turn gave rise to thought
Thought turned into scrawl
Scribbling into its own form
Form became a law
That would crumble into dust
For fun, for fun
For fun, for fun
The fun, the fun of it all
There was writing on the wall
We were concocting 'round the cauldron
A dream that was to come
For fun, for fun, for fun, for fun
He fretted and he fronted
With an accidental charm
Till he had forgotten all the words
To his own monologue
For fun, for fun, for fun, for fun
When I heard the angel call
She put a needle in my bone
She dabbled in my marrow
I was convinced she was the balm
I knew she warded off evil
That would inevitably come
For fun, for fun, for fun, for fun
In the flash of a fall
It gave rise a lonely charge
That turned into a spark
That in turn gave rise to thought
Thought turned into scrawl
Scribbling into its own form
Form became a law
That would crumble into dust
For fun, for fun
For fun, for fun
The fun, the fun of it all
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