The group gained some notoriety when a single from its first album, Blood and Roses, was included on the soundtrack for and as the theme song of the 1986 Albert Pyun movie Dangerously Close and the video got some moderately heavy rotation on MTV. The group spent some time in its initial semi-celebrity phase defending itself in Rolling Stone against thinly-veiled accusations of sounding too much like The Byrds and The Beatles, pointing out that its Marshall Amplifier-heavy live sound was closer to heavy metal than it was to The Beatles.
Along with a basic Eastern-coast roots-rock sound that owed much to the inspirations of DiNizio, including Buddy Holly, The Who, The Clash, Elvis Costello, and Nick Lowe, the Smithereens deployed a uniquely retro obsession with Mod, the late British Invasion pop of John's Children and The Move, and other artifacts of fifties and sixties culture that lent its music substance and style. The highest position a Smithereens album attained on the Billboard pop charts was in 1990, when 11 peaked at #41 on the strength of the single A Girl Like You (which hit #38). The group is still active and tours frequently, but went for seven years without releasing a new studio album, following God Save the Smithereens in 1999.
In January 2007, the band released a cover of the album Meet the Beatles titled Meet the Smithereens. Bassist Mike Mesaros does not appear on the album, replaced by Severo "The Thrilla" Jornacion . An album of original material was promised for later in the year, but Christmas with The Smithereens, released in October 2007, included only three original songs along with nine covers of Christmas songs.
Yesterday Girl
The Smithereens Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just live for today
And if you want an easy answer
I've got nothing to say
So please don't bother talking to me
I'll just disappoint you
Because I'm quite content to sit right here
With nothing to do
[Chorus]
Well I'm not the same guy that you used to know
I used to be the guy that had no place to go
But that was yesterday girl, yesterday girl
Yesterday girl, yesterday girl
And you're my yesterday girl, yesterday girl
Yesterday girl, yesterday girl
I never want to find an answer 'cause
I don't like the truth
And if I find just what I'm looking for
I've something to lose
So please don't go and ask me questions
I just won't feel the same
And when I think about religion
Well, there's no one to blame
[Chorus]
The Smithereens's song "Yesterday Girl" is a melancholic ballad about a man who lives only in the present, unwilling to confront the future or the truth. He avoids asking questions and seeking answers because he doesn't want to risk losing what he has. The lyrics speak to the idea of wanting to maintain the status quo, rather than facing change, growth, or the unknown. The song's chorus implies that the man is reflecting on his past self - someone who used to be different and more lost - and that the woman is a reminder of that time.
The first verse establishes the man's mindset by showing that he is content to do nothing and has no interest in any potential conversation. The chorus repeats the phrase "Yesterday girl," using it to mean both the woman and the man's past self. The second verse adds to the first, saying that the man's avoidance of the truth applies to religion as well.
Additionally, the song's musical style mimics the lyrics in its simplicity and repetitive nature. The minimal instrumentation, with only a few guitar chords, reinforces the idea that the man is stuck in one place and doesn't want to move forward. The vocals are delivered in a resigned tone that matches the lyrics' themes of apathy and resignation.
Line by Line Meaning
I never think about the future
I do not spend time considering what may happen beyond the present
I just live for today
My focus is solely on the current moment
And if you want an easy answer
If you are inquiring for a simple response
I've got nothing to say
I do not have anything to contribute
So please don't bother talking to me
I prefer no communication or interaction
I'll just disappoint you
I am not capable of performing to expectations
Because I'm quite content to sit right here, with nothing to do
I am happy being idle with no particular activity
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats throughout the song.
Well I'm not the same guy that you used to know
My identity has altered since you knew me
I used to be the guy that had no place to go
I formerly had no destination or direction in life
But that was yesterday girl, yesterday girl
That was how things were in the past
And you're my yesterday girl, yesterday girl
I reminisce and associate your being with past times
Yesterday girl, yesterday girl
I continuously recall the past
I never want to find an answer 'cause
I prefer not to understand the truth
I don't like the truth
I avoid the candid or the factual
And if I find just what I'm looking for
If I do discover what I am searching for
I've something to lose
I have something at risk that may disappear
So please don't go and ask me questions
Do not approach me with inquiries
I just won't feel the same
I may not react the same way as before
And when I think about religion
My thoughts on the topic of faith
Well, there's no one to blame
There are no individuals held accountable for my thoughts or choices
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats throughout the song.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: PATRICK DI NIZIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DiamondDave10
One of the great American bands of the 1980s and beyond
@francinefrancine6871
Love these guys, and this Song. They are My favorite Band. This Album is So Good. Love this song. Thank you.
@PilgrimPiper
Dennis Diken is the coolest drummer ever. Peace to all
@terryjames548
Somewhere in Manville on Pope Street, somebody is cranking this up tonight. 🎸
@karenmonson9893
Love the guys,love the music!!! The cows are a nice backdrop.🐄🐄🐄The girl was just ,"window dressing" for the guys to look at!🤪😜Oh well, I got the better deal!!! I got to look at the guys and they are, "hot"!😍🤩😘Especially the dancing bass player!😉🤙🤘👍
@briandaly7236
We miss ya Pat 😢
@nomansland4811
The milk maid is a babe and a half. The story is these guys were touring europe and were, I wanna say Holland or such, when this was an impromptu video. I like it but I'm a big fan.
@neilryan4166
She may be the farmers daughter.
@neilryan4166
The milk made may be the farmers daughter.
@9way1sms
❤❤😂😊