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.
A one two three four, one
Yeah
OK
Don't do it
Don't you try it baby
Don't do that
Don't, don't, don't
Don't do that
You got a good thing going now
Don't do it, don't do it, don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives a damn
So you think it's the easy way out
Think you're gonna slash your wrists this time
Baby, when you do it all you do is get on my tits
Don't do that
Try try try baby
Don't do that,
You got a good thing going now
Don't do it, don't do it, don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives a damn
You need help
Look at yourself you need help
You need life
So don't hang yourself
It's OK, OK, OK, OK
You just can't be a prick teaser all of the time
A little bit attention
you got it
Need some affection
you got it
Suicide, suicide, suicide bid
Suicide, suicide, suicide bid
Suicide, hey
Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, babe (yeah)
Don't do it, don't do it, don't, do it
Yeah, yeah
Don't put your neck on the line
Don't drown on me babe
Blow your brains out
Don't do that (yeah)
Don't do that, you got a good thing going baby
Don't do it (no) don't do it (no) don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives, nobody cares
Nobody gives a damn
OK
Yeah
OK
Don't do it
Don't you try it baby
Don't do that
Don't, don't, don't
Don't do that
You got a good thing going now
Don't do it, don't do it, don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives a damn
So you think it's the easy way out
Think you're gonna slash your wrists this time
Baby, when you do it all you do is get on my tits
Don't do that
Try try try baby
Don't do that,
You got a good thing going now
Don't do it, don't do it, don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives a damn
You need help
Look at yourself you need help
You need life
So don't hang yourself
It's OK, OK, OK, OK
You just can't be a prick teaser all of the time
A little bit attention
you got it
Need some affection
you got it
Suicide, suicide, suicide bid
Suicide, suicide, suicide bid
Suicide, hey
Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, babe (yeah)
Don't do it, don't do it, don't, do it
Yeah, yeah
Don't put your neck on the line
Don't drown on me babe
Blow your brains out
Don't do that (yeah)
Don't do that, you got a good thing going baby
Don't do it (no) don't do it (no) don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives, nobody cares
Nobody gives a damn
OK
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Light Up The Sky
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
No, not very strait forward at all... It seems to be a relationship of some sort, whether romantic, familial, or just a friendship, but the verses are one member of the relationship, seemingly a male telling the other (presumably female) that [she] should not kill [her]self,"When you do it, all you do is get on my tits" then the chorus brings in a dialogue of some sort, perhaps between the two, but more likely the person considering suicide with themself, [she] hears "Don't try suicide, nobody's worth it" and then within says, "Nobody cares...Nobody Gives a damn"
Its all about the internal conflict, and how ridiculous it can sometimes be, with such a serious subject the arrangement is almost humorous, as if it were actually satirizing the melodramatic progressive rock bands of the time... my rambling thoughts