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,
Get dirty get clean
Get some new scene to wipe the dirt from everything
That touches you and takes you far from faith
In body, in deep I saw you creeping
Little footsteps through my sleep and
Color me with images of faith
And you can be anyone or just some mother's wasted son
Oh you can be your own god if you want to
Come over come quick come laugh get sick
Come battle two swords with a stick
And when you've gone I'll put it through my chest
Cuz listen kid everybody knows you can fit good company up your nose
And an evil heart is better worst than best
And you can love anyone
You will believe me when I'm gone
Oh you can be your own god if you want to
Come on to my side you will define me with a knife
Spare me all the misery as I tear apart your life
Oh you can lose yourself in art
Or you can break somebody's heart in two
Jump on in, the water's fine for swimming
Look over look fast again look past
The motley kids and ugly cast
That smother you, all radiant with joy
Cuz somebody once said when I was young
Playing dead was just no fun
But these days I am a man, I'm not a boy
And you can be anyone
Or just some mother's wasted son
Oh you can be your own god if you want to
Come on to my side you will define me with a knife
Spare me all the misery as I tear apart your life
Oh you can lose yourself in art
Or you can break somebody's heart in two
Jump on in, the water's fine for swimming
Get some new scene to wipe the dirt from everything
That touches you and takes you far from faith
In body, in deep I saw you creeping
Little footsteps through my sleep and
Color me with images of faith
And you can be anyone or just some mother's wasted son
Oh you can be your own god if you want to
Come over come quick come laugh get sick
Come battle two swords with a stick
And when you've gone I'll put it through my chest
Cuz listen kid everybody knows you can fit good company up your nose
And an evil heart is better worst than best
And you can love anyone
You will believe me when I'm gone
Oh you can be your own god if you want to
Come on to my side you will define me with a knife
Spare me all the misery as I tear apart your life
Oh you can lose yourself in art
Or you can break somebody's heart in two
Jump on in, the water's fine for swimming
Look over look fast again look past
The motley kids and ugly cast
That smother you, all radiant with joy
Cuz somebody once said when I was young
Playing dead was just no fun
But these days I am a man, I'm not a boy
And you can be anyone
Or just some mother's wasted son
Oh you can be your own god if you want to
Come on to my side you will define me with a knife
Spare me all the misery as I tear apart your life
Oh you can lose yourself in art
Or you can break somebody's heart in two
Jump on in, the water's fine for swimming
Lyrics submitted by thebaddoctor, edited by plokij909, milkandtoast
Wrecking Force Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
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I don't know maybe this song is about cocaine.
There are definatly a lot of cocaine refrences, The singer is singing as the cocaine. "define me with a knife" "fit good company up your nose"
I would say its more about using cocaine to substitue for growing up and being depressed about aging.
self doubt, cocaine
its about making the wrong decisions and settling for things that don't make you happy like fake friends who just pull you down to their level of misery, or being in unhappy relationships that drag you down instead of truly being in love. Makes me think of some people that I know that have so much potential but they have this self destructive side that holds them back from any true happiness. Its like they get stuck in a rut and can't pull themselves out because of loser friends, dysfunctional relationships, and not believing in themselves.
Well this is just my take on the song.
i think... that maybe its more about... being depressed and being recognized ofr do it. im not denying the cocaine referance.. its there, but i am saying that its almost like the theory of an emo band.. voxtrot is by no means emo, but their talking aobut how people eat that depressing stuff up... maybe?
And an [something] heart is better worst than best is And and we fall hardest, better worst than best...
&
Look over look fast again look past is Look over, look fast, look in, look past.
I think janexsays is on the right track... how "being depressed" is sort of becoming more part of culture rather than counter-culture.
I got that eventually everybody gets over how much media and popculture... Everybody eventually lives their own life without that huge influence.
Iduno. :]
wait, didn't you leave out the entire lyrics that happen when the song breaks down?
Spare me all the misery as I tear apart your life
is Spare me all the miseries that tear apart your life.
Spare me all the misery as I tear apart your life
is Spare me all the miseries that tear apart your life.
I believe he's saying "evil" heart. (And an [something] heart is better worst than best)