As of September 2009, Yo La Tengo have released 216 original songs and 97 cover songs.
| Year |
Title |
Available on |
Written by |
| 1985 |
"The River of Water" |
|
Ira Kaplan |
| 1986 |
"The Cone of Silence" |
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "The Evil That Men Do" |
| "The Forest Green" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "The Pain of Pain" |
Ira Kaplan |
| "The Way Some People Die" |
Dave Schramm |
| "Alrock's Bells" |
Ira Kaplan |
| "Five Years" |
Dave Schramm, Tony Rubin |
| "Screaming Dead Balloons" |
Ira Kaplan |
| "Crispy Duck" |
- Ride the Tiger reissue (1993, 1996)
|
| 1987 |
"Clunk" |
|
| "Did I Tell You" |
| "House Fall Down" |
| "Lewis" |
- New Wave Hot Dogs (1987)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Lost in Bessemer" |
|
| "3 Blocks from Groove St." |
| "Serpentine" |
Ira Kaplan, Phil Milstein |
| "A Shy Dog" |
Ira Kaplan |
| "No Water" |
Ira Kaplan, Phil Milstein |
| "The Story of Jazz" |
- New Wave Hot Dogs (1987)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "The Asparagus Song" |
|
Ira Kaplan, Emily Hubley |
| 1989 |
"Barnaby, Hardly Working" |
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "Drug Test" |
- President Yo La Tengo (1987)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "The Evil That Men Do (Craig's Version)" |
- President Yo La Tengo (1987)
|
| "Alyda" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "The Evil That Men Do (Pablo's Version)" |
Ira Kaplan |
| 1990 |
"Can't Forget" |
|
? |
| "The Summer" |
- Fakebook (1987)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "What Comes Next" |
|
| "Did I Tell You" |
- Fakebook (1987)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| 1991 |
"Out the Window" |
- That Is Yo La Tengo 12" and CD (1991)
|
| "Swing for Life" |
| "Walking Away from You" |
- That Is Yo La Tengo 12" and CD (1991)
- "Walking Away from You" 7" (1991)
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Georgia Hubley |
| "Five Cornered Drone (Crispy Duck)" |
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "Fog Over Frisco" |
- That Is Yo La Tengo 12" and CD (1991)
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
| 1992 |
"Detouring America with Horns" |
- May I Sing with Me (1992)
|
Georgia Hubley |
| "Upside-Down" |
- May I Sing with Me (1992)
- Upside-Down CD EP (1992)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "Mushroom Cloud of Hiss" |
- May I Sing with Me (1992)
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "Swing for Life" |
- May I Sing with Me (1992)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Some Kinda Fatigue" |
- May I Sing with Me (1992)
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "Always Something" |
- May I Sing with Me (1992)
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "86-Second Blowout" |
Ira Kaplan |
| "Out the Window" |
| "Sleeping Pill" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Satellite" |
Ira Kaplan |
| "Upside-Down One More Time" |
|
| "Sunsquashed" |
- Upside-Down CD EP (1992)
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| 1993 |
"Big Day Coming" [Slow Version] |
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "From a Motel 6" |
- Painful (1993)
- "From a Motel 6" CD single (1993)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "Double Dare" |
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "Superstar-Watcher" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Nowhere Near" |
Georgia Hubley |
| "Sudden Organ" |
Ira Kaplan |
| "A Worrying Thing" |
| "I Was the Fool Beside You for Too Long" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Big Day Coming" [Fast Version] |
- Painful (1993)
- "Big Day Coming" 7" (1993)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
- A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities (2005) [Demo]
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "I Heard You Looking" |
- Painful (1993)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Shaker" |
- "Shaker" 7" (1993)
- "Shaker" CD single (1993)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "What She Wants" |
- "Shaker" CD single (1993)
|
| "Double Dare (Sominextraction)" |
- "Big Day Coming" 7" (1993)
|
Ira Kaplan |
| 1994 |
"Nutricia" |
- "From a Motel 6" CD single (1994)
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "From a Motel 6 (Remix)" |
- "From a Motel 6" CD single (1994)
|
Ira Kaplan |
| 1995 |
"Decora" |
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Flying Lesson (Hot Chicken #1)" |
| "The Hour Grows Late" |
| "Tom Courtenay" |
- Electr-O-Pura (1995)
- Camp Yo La Tengo CD EP (1995)
- Camp Yo La Tengo 7" (1995)
- "Tom Courtenay" 7" (1995)
- Tom Courtenay CD EP (1995)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
- A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities (2005) [Live Acoustic]
|
| "False Ending" |
|
| "Pablo and Andrea" |
- Electr-O-Pura (1995)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Paul Is Dead" |
|
| "False Alarm" |
| "The Ballad of Red Buckets" |
| "Don't Say a Word (Hot Chicken #2)" |
| "(Straight Down to the) Bitter End" |
| "My Heart's Reflection" |
| "Attack on Love" |
| "Blue Line Swinger" |
- Electr-O-Pura (1995)
- Camp Yo La Tengo CD EP (1995) [Remix, Edit]
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "(Thin) Blue Line Swinger" |
- Camp Yo La Tengo 7" (1995)
|
| "Mr. Ameche Plays the Stranger" |
|
| "Treading Water" |
- Tom Courtenay CD EP (1995)
|
| "Bad Politics" |
| "My Heart's Reflection (Take 3)" |
| "The Bisexual Boogie" |
- "Tom Courtenay" 7" (1995)
|
| 1996 |
"Blue/Green Arrow" |
- "Blue/Green Arrow" 7" (1996)
- A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities (2005)
|
| "Watching the Sun Rise or Johnny Carson" |
- "Blue/Green Arrow" 7" (1996)
|
| "Evanescent Psychic Pez Drop" |
- 7" split with Stereolab (1996)
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Demons" |
- I Shot Andy Warhol OST (1996)
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "Something to Do" |
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Ira Kaplan |
| "Ultra-Powerful Short Wave Radio Picks Up Music from Venus" |
David Fair, Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Up to You" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Artificial Heart" |
Ira Kaplan, Brookings |
| "Her Grandmother's Gift" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "From a Motel 6 #2" |
| "Gooseneck Problem" |
Ira Kaplan |
| "Ecstasy Blues" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Too Much, Part I" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "One Self: Fish Girl" |
| "Enough" |
| "Drum Solo" |
Georgia Hubley |
| "From a Motel 6 #1" |
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan |
| "Too Much, Part II" |
| 1997 |
"Return to Hot Chicken" |
|
Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew |
| "Moby Octopad" |
| "Sugarcube" |
- I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)
- "Sugarcube" 7" (1997)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Damage" |
- I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)
|
| "Deeper Into Movies" |
| "Shadows" |
| "Stockholm Syndrome" |
- I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Autumn Sweater" |
- I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)
- Autumn Sweater EP (1997)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Green Arrow" |
- I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (1997)
|
| "One PM Again" |
| "The Lie and How We Told It" |
| "Center of Gravity" |
| "Spec Bebop" |
| "We're an American Band" |
| "Rocket #9 (Long Version)" |
|
| "Wig-Out with Charley Dapper" |
| "Rocket #9 (Short Version)" |
| "Busy with Me Thoughts" |
|
| 1998 |
"Looney Tunes" |
- "Little Honda" CD EP (1998)
|
| "Urban Crusher" |
- "Urban Crusher" 7" (1998)
|
| 2000 |
"Everyday" |
|
| "Our Way to Fall" |
- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Saturday" |
- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
- "Saturday" CD single and 10" (2000)
|
| "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House" |
- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
|
| "Last Days of Disco" |
| "The Crying of Lot G" |
| "Tears Are in Your Eyes" |
- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Cherry Chapstick" |
- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
- Today Is the Day! CD and 12" EP (2003) [Live]
|
| "From Black to Blue" |
- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out (2000)
|
| "Madeline" |
| "Tired Hippo" |
| "Night Falls on Hoboken" |
| "Danelectro 3" |
- Danelectro CD and 12" EP (2000)
- "Saturday" CD and 10" single (2000)
|
| "Danelectro 2" |
| "Danelectro 1" |
- Danelectro CD and 12" EP (2000)
|
| 2002 |
"Sea Urchins" |
|
| "Hyas and Stenorhynchus" |
| "Shrimp Stories" |
| "How Some Jellyfish Are Born" |
| "Liquid Crystals" |
| "The Love Life of the Octopus" |
| "Acera or the Wtiches' Dance" |
| "The Sea Horse" |
| 2003 |
"Beach Party Tonight" |
|
| "Little Eyes" |
- Summer Sun (2003)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Nothing But You and Me" |
|
| "Season of the Shark" |
- Summer Sun (2003)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
| "Today Is the Day" |
- Summer Sun (2003)
- Today Is the Day! CD and 12" EP (2003) [Rock Version]
|
| "Tiny Birds" |
|
| "How to Make a Baby Elephant Float" |
| "Georgia Vs. Yo La Tengo" |
| "Don't Have to Be So Sad" |
| "Winter A-Go-Go" |
| "Moonrock Mambo" |
| "Let's Be Still" |
| "Styles of the Times" |
- Today Is the Day! EP (2003)
|
| "Outsmartener" |
| "Dr. Crash" |
| 2005 |
"Stay Away from Heaven" |
- A Smattering of Outtakes and Rarities (2005)
|
| "Pencil Test" |
| "Almost True" |
| "Weather Shy" |
| 2006 |
"Pass the Hatchet, I Think I'm Goodkind" |
|
| "Beanbag Chair" |
| "I Feel Like Going Home" |
| "Mr. Tough" |
- I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (2006)
- "Mr. Tough" 7" (2006)
|
| "Black Flowers" |
- I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass (2006)
|
| "The Race Is on Again" |
| "The Room Got Heavy" |
| "Sometimes I Don't Get You" |
| "Daphnia" |
| "I Should Have Known Better" |
| "Watch Out for Me Ronnie" |
| "The Weakest Part" |
| "Song for Mahila" |
| "Point and Shoot" |
| "The Story of Yo La Tango" |
| 2008 |
"Leaving Home" |
|
| "Getting Lost" |
| "Path to Springs" |
| "Driving Home" |
| "Leaving Home (Alternate Version)" |
| "Old Joy: End Credits" |
| "Ashley" |
| "Meerkats" |
| "Madeline" [2] |
| "A Roomful of Ladies" (Outtake) |
| "David Wark" |
| "Aftermath" (Outtake) |
| "George" |
| "This Could Be It" |
| "The Phantom Who Haunts Broadway" |
| "Game Time" |
| "Pharaoh Blues" |
| "Zoo Chant" |
| "Love Chant" |
| "Asbestos" |
| "Return of the Pharaoh" |
| "Spec Bebop" (Shorter Version) |
| "Buckner's Boner" |
| "Isolation Tank" |
| "Panic in Central Park (Outtake)" |
| "Panic in Central Park" |
| "Wizard's Sleeve" |
| 2009 |
"Here to Fall" |
|
| "Avalon or Someone Very Similar" |
| "By Two's" |
| "Nothing to Hide" |
| "Periodically Double or Triple" |
| "If It's True" |
| "I'm On My Way" |
| "When It's Dark" |
| "All Your Secrets" |
| "More Stars Than There Are in Heaven" |
| "The Fireside" |
| "And the Glitter Is Gone" |
| Year |
Title |
Available on |
Written by |
| 1985 |
"A House Is Not a Motel" |
|
Arthur Lee |
| 1986 |
"Big Sky" |
|
Ray Davies |
| "The Empty Pool" |
Dave Weckerman |
| "Living in the Country" |
Pete Seeger |
| "Closing Time" |
- Ride the Tiger reissue (1993, 1996)
|
Sammy Walker |
| 1987 |
"It's Alright (The Way That You Live)" |
- New Wave Hot Dogs reissue (1987)
|
Lou Reed |
| "Let's Compromise" |
Information |
| "For the Turnstiles" |
- "The Asparagus Song" 7" (1987)
|
Neil Young |
| "Orange Songs" |
- President Yo La Tengo (1989)
|
Tara Key, Tim Harris |
| "I Threw It All Away" |
Bob Dylan |
| 1990 |
"Griselda" |
|
Antonio Apodeca |
| "Here Comes My Baby" |
Cat Stevens |
| "Yellow Sarong" |
The Scene Is Now |
| "You Tore Me Down" |
Chris Wilson, Cyril Jordan |
| "Emulsified" |
Rex Garvin |
| "Speeding Motorcycle" |
|
Daniel Johnston |
| "Tried So Hard" |
|
Gene Clark |
| "Oklahoma, U.S.A." |
Ray Davies |
| "The One to Cry" |
The Escorts |
| "Andalucia" |
John Cale |
| "What Can I Say" |
Joey Spampinato |
| "Cast a Shadow" |
- "Walking Away from You" 7" (1991)
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Beat Happening |
| 1992 |
"(The) Farmer's Daughter" |
|
The Beach Boys |
| "Out of Control" |
Channel 3 |
| 1993 |
"The Whole of the Law" |
|
Peter Perrett |
| "For Shame of Doing Wrong (Slide Version)" |
- “Shaker” CD single (1993)
|
Richard Thompson |
| "For Shame of Doing Wrong" |
- “Shaker” 7" single (1993)
|
| 1994 |
"Ashes on the Ground" |
|
David Fair, Mark Jickling |
| 1995 |
"Can't Seem to Make You Mine" |
- Camp Yo La Tengo CD EP (1995)
|
Sky Saxon |
| 1996 |
"Too Late" |
- Genius + Love = Yo La Tengo (1996)
|
Bruce Gilbert |
| "Hanky Panky Nohow" |
John Cale |
| "I'm Set Free" |
Lou Reed |
| "Surfin' with the Shah" |
John Talley-Jones |
| "Blitzkrieg Bop" |
Ramones |
| 1997 |
"Little Honda" |
|
Brian Wilson, Mike Love |
| "My Little Corner of the World" |
|
Bob Hilliard, Lee Pockriss |
| "Be Thankful for What You Got" |
- "Little Honda" CD EP (1997)
|
William DeVaughn |
| "No Return" |
Ray Davies |
| "Black Hole" |
Jones |
| "How Much I've Lied" |
David Rivkin, Gram Parsons |
| "By the Time It Gets Dark" |
|
Sandy Denny |
| "We Are the Champions" (Live) |
- "Little Honda" CD EP (1997)
|
Queen |
| 1998 |
"Run Run Run" |
- "Urban Crusher" 7" (1998)
|
Lou Reed |
| 2000 |
"You Can Have It All" |
|
Harry Wayne Casey |
| "Ready-Mades" |
- "You Can Have It All" CD single and 7" (2000)
|
Neil Innes, Vivian Stanshall |
| 2002 |
"Rock N Roll Santa" |
- Merry Christmas from Yo La Tengo (2002)
|
Jan Terri |
| "It's Christmas Time" |
Alton Abraham, Sun Ra |
| "Santa Claus Goes Modern" |
Sven Swanson |
| "Nuclear War" |
- Nuclear War EP (2002)
- Prisoners of Love (2005)
|
Sun Ra |
| 2003 |
"Take Care" |
|
Alex Chilton |
| "Needle of Death" |
|
Bert Jansch |
| 2005 |
"Dreaming" |
|
The Cosmic Rays |
| "Bad Politics" |
The Dead C |
| "Dreams" |
Stevie Nicks |
| "Magnet" |
Joey Spampinato, Terry Adams |
| 2006 |
"I'm Your Puppet" |
|
Dan Penn, Spooner Oldham |
| "Tighten Up" |
|
Archie Bell and the Drells |
| "The Night Chicago Died" |
Paper Lace |
| "Raw Power" |
The Stooges |
| "Sea Cruise" |
Huey "Piano" Smith |
| "Favorite Thing" |
The Replacements |
| "Baseball Altamont" |
Ned Hayden, Philip Shelley |
| "Meet the Mets" |
Bill Katz, Ruth Roberts |
| "Oh Bondage, Up Yours!" |
X-Ray Spex |
| "Ding Dang/Interplanetary Music" |
Brian Wilson, Roger McGuinn, Sun Ra |
| "Captain Lou" |
NRBQ |
| "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" |
The Velvet Underground |
| "Route 66" |
Bobby Troup |
| "Roadrunner" |
Jonathan Richman |
| "Tijuana Taxi" |
Eryan Coleman |
| "Mendocino/Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head" |
Doug Sahm, Burt Bacharach |
| "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" |
Eurythmics |
| "Baby's on Fire" |
Brian Eno |
| "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" |
The Who |
| "The Hokey Pokey" |
Larry Laprise, Taftt Baker, Charles Macak |
| "You May Be Right" |
Billy Joel |
| "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" |
Randy Newman |
| "Roundabout" |
Yes |
| "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" |
Bachman-Turner Overdrive |
| "Don’t Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)" |
Yoko Ono |
| "Downtown" |
Petula Clark |
| "Let the Good Times Roll" |
Shirley Goodman, Leonard Lee |
| "Never on Sunday" |
Manos Hadjidakis, Billy Towne |
| "20th Century Boy" |
T. Rex |
| "Rock the Boat" |
Hues Corporation |
| "Shotgun" |
Junior Walker and the All-Stars |
| 2009 |
"Gentle Hour" |
|
Mike Knapp |
| "What'cha Gonna Do About It" |
|
Brian Potter, Ian Samwell |
| "Accident" |
Brian McMahon |
| "This Is Where I Belong" |
Ray Davies |
| "Shut Down" |
Brian Wilson, Roger Christian |
| "Shut Down Part 2" |
Carl Wilson |
| "What a Girl Like You" |
Reg Presley |
| "The Kid with the Replaceable Head" |
Richard Hell |
| "Dog Meat" |
Chris Wilson, Cyril Jordan |
| "So Easy Baby" |
Billy Miller |
| "Come On Up" |
Felix Cavaliere |
| "Gudbuy T'Jane" |
Jim Lea, Noddy Holder |
| "You've Got a Friend" |
|
Carole King |
