The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
On lead poisoned wings, you try to sing
Freak beak shrieks are thrown at your confusing hue
The peacock screaming eyes show no mercy oh, oh no mercy
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
The flock will make you choke on this sadistic joke
And the whippoorwills they make a din
In laughing unison, you're Hitchcock carrion
In laughing unison, you're Hitchcock carrion
Carry on
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
I hear your sorrow, may lose tomorrow
You'll lose you sorrow
When a fated weather will cleanse away
That painted feather and all that sorrow, sorrow, sorrow
A coquette in fur purr for the painted bird
Confound that dowdy flock with a sharp honed nerve
Because we're painted birds by our own design
By our own design, oh there's no more sorrow, sorrow, sorrow
Have you heard about the painted bird
Just a tainted bird hunting their twisted nerve
We've lost our sorrow, now it's tomorrow, tomorrow
No need to hide your feather under a fated weather
No more sorrow, sorrow
We've lost our sorrow
Now we're painted birds
Mocking that twisted nerve
It's absurd, it's absurd, painted bird
Freak beak shrieks are thrown at your confusing hue
The peacock screaming eyes show no mercy oh, oh no mercy
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
The flock will make you choke on this sadistic joke
And the whippoorwills they make a din
In laughing unison, you're Hitchcock carrion
In laughing unison, you're Hitchcock carrion
Carry on
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
Painted bird, it's absurd
Just a tainted bird hurting their twisted nerve
I hear your sorrow, may lose tomorrow
You'll lose you sorrow
When a fated weather will cleanse away
That painted feather and all that sorrow, sorrow, sorrow
A coquette in fur purr for the painted bird
Confound that dowdy flock with a sharp honed nerve
Because we're painted birds by our own design
By our own design, oh there's no more sorrow, sorrow, sorrow
Have you heard about the painted bird
Just a tainted bird hunting their twisted nerve
We've lost our sorrow, now it's tomorrow, tomorrow
No need to hide your feather under a fated weather
No more sorrow, sorrow
We've lost our sorrow
Now we're painted birds
Mocking that twisted nerve
It's absurd, it's absurd, painted bird
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
This song was based on the book Painted Bird by
Jerzy N. Kosinski which is about a young Polish boy fleeing the Nazis, but symbolically it's about how jealous people destroy beautiful things. The book itself I highly recommend reading; it's twisted and sexual, revolting the beautiful.
A couple more points: the album "Painted Bird" is from "A Kiss In The Dreamhouse" has many references to the work of Gustav Klimt - for instance the cover and title are a reference to his most famous painting, "The Kiss". As depicted in the above mentioned book "The Painted Bird", the Nazis destroyed several of Klimt's paintings as they retreated in 1945.
"A coquette in fur" is a reference to the novella "Venus In Furs" by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, who lends his name to the word masochism. There are other references to "Venus In Furs" throughout the album, such as a reference to the main character of the novella, Severin, in "Melt!". Steve Severin also assumed his name from this character.
Inspired by the book 'The Painted Bird' by Jerzy Kosinksi. SIOUXSIE: "A very violent book," says Siouxsie. "But there's also like an abstract theme in that this guy used to collect birds, and when he was feeling really aggressive, or frustrated, he'd paint this bird with different colours, and then throw it to its flock. And it would recognise its flock, but because it was a different colour, they would attack it." Source: NME17/04/82
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Painted_Bird
"you're Hitchcock carrion"
is without a doubt a reference to this:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TheBirds(film)