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.
Inside the wave
Inside the wave
Coming from behind the wall
Coming from beneath the floor
Coming from behind the wall
Coming from beneath the floor
Suddenly I hear the sound (The walls close in around me.)
Coming from behind the wall (Old habits fade far from me.)
Suddenly a door appears (The ceiling falls about me)
Coming from beneath the floor (and the sky is open to me now.)
But my hands are tied
and the ropes are tight around my wrist.
Steadily we climb again (Makes me sick. Think to hard on the other side.)
Step into a hidden room (Can't stare too long at the softest light)
Searchin' for another out (Old wounds get infected by the)
Found a tunnel heading down (Heat of an oven gone cold too long)
Suddenly I hear the sound (Get my mind off the pain with the medicine)
Coming from behind the wall (Just the idea of a thought brings it round again)
Suddenly a light appears (Get my mind off the pain. Off the pain.)
Rapidly some something nears... (Get my mind off the pain. Off the pain.)
But my hands are tied
and the ropes are tight around my wrist.
Bucket and a shovel
On a sand dune.
Building castles.
Knocking them down
Wading too far
Out of my sight.
Gonna work me over
For a misdemeanor
In too long.
Out of bed.
Way too slow.
In a found cut scene from an empty film.
The walls close in around me.
Old habits fade far from me.
The ceiling falls about me
but the sky is open to me now.
Bucket and a shovel
On a sand dune.
Building castles. (But my hands are tied)
Knocking them down
Wading too far
Out of my sight.
Gonna work me over
For a misdemeanor (and the ropes are tight around my wrist.)
In too long.
Out of bed.
Way too slow.
Forever wishing someone near the goal
Forever pushing sisiphus would know
Forever wasting promise as it goes
Forensics show a summer in the hole, buddy
Hands from the sky
Rip me open
(Suffer begin)
Inside the wave
Coming from behind the wall
Coming from beneath the floor
Coming from behind the wall
Coming from beneath the floor
Suddenly I hear the sound (The walls close in around me.)
Coming from behind the wall (Old habits fade far from me.)
Suddenly a door appears (The ceiling falls about me)
Coming from beneath the floor (and the sky is open to me now.)
But my hands are tied
and the ropes are tight around my wrist.
Steadily we climb again (Makes me sick. Think to hard on the other side.)
Step into a hidden room (Can't stare too long at the softest light)
Searchin' for another out (Old wounds get infected by the)
Found a tunnel heading down (Heat of an oven gone cold too long)
Suddenly I hear the sound (Get my mind off the pain with the medicine)
Coming from behind the wall (Just the idea of a thought brings it round again)
Suddenly a light appears (Get my mind off the pain. Off the pain.)
Rapidly some something nears... (Get my mind off the pain. Off the pain.)
But my hands are tied
and the ropes are tight around my wrist.
Bucket and a shovel
On a sand dune.
Building castles.
Knocking them down
Wading too far
Out of my sight.
Gonna work me over
For a misdemeanor
In too long.
Out of bed.
Way too slow.
In a found cut scene from an empty film.
The walls close in around me.
Old habits fade far from me.
The ceiling falls about me
but the sky is open to me now.
Bucket and a shovel
On a sand dune.
Building castles. (But my hands are tied)
Knocking them down
Wading too far
Out of my sight.
Gonna work me over
For a misdemeanor (and the ropes are tight around my wrist.)
In too long.
Out of bed.
Way too slow.
Forever wishing someone near the goal
Forever pushing sisiphus would know
Forever wasting promise as it goes
Forensics show a summer in the hole, buddy
Hands from the sky
Rip me open
(Suffer begin)
Lyrics submitted by fadedplasticflowers
Bbtone Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB., Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
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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.
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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.
The reason Pinback are musical geniuses is that each song can be taken literally, or they can be taken subjectively be each individual who listens to it. I think this was deliberate on the bands part because thats the kinda guys they are. During a live show in SAN F Rob said 'Nobody knows what were talking about, but hey, thats how we roll' I love this angle because it leaves so much room for interpretation by the listener no matter who you are. Its so difficult to write lyrics that have both a clear message and a blurry meaning and they do it in EVERY song. To me, thats why they're the best.
wow...its heavy. i think this song is really personal, and i dont feel that i have the authority to just analyze it. however its about a war within himself. maybe he's trying to work his way out of a depression, but its not working. and....he just feels so much pain...wow i dont know. i really dont.
I think this song is about surfing. If you listen to the song with that in mind it all makes sense. Walls closing, ceiling falling- its all about being trapped in a wave. It sound like he surfs to escape from himself. Surfing can be a punnishing sport, and I really like the referance to Sisipus- (the guy who had to push the boulder up the hill, only to have it roll back down right before he reached the top- for all of eternity.- Greek mythology) Surfers are always looking for the perfect ride- something they may never find, no matter how skilled they are or how often they try. The ocean punishes them, and they always come back for more. Small sucesses for huge efforts. I love Pinback because they write about the stuff no one else does, and they do it with pure poetry. Maybe my answer is too obvious- but I don't think this song is about depression at all- I think it's about trying to reach a seemingly unattanable perfection- and enjoying the process even if you get beat up along the way.
It's about a video game.
Im sure it is about a video game.
Next time, state why you believe so. After reading Peppergirls comment I could kinda see that but im sure your just making it into about surfing because you enjoy surfing. Funny how our minds connect for us.
Im sure it is about a video game.
Next time, state why you believe so. After reading Peppergirls comment I could kinda see that but im sure your just making it into about surfing because you enjoy surfing. Funny how our minds connect for us.
I dont know why this song isnt more popular amongst pinback fans, its my favorite for sure.
I think this song is alot about that emptiness that you might have, at least that I experience when I just sit around the house. Maybe about a video game in some lines, hey it's something I do when I feel like that, But more about inner conflict. But it could be anything you do to occupy your time when everything is just numb.
I think this song is about suffering and how we go about dealing with it. It seems that there is a reason behind his suffering, which is most likely one of repetitiveness, because he compares it to Sisyphus who was a king punished in the Tartarus by being cursed to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down again, and repeat this throughout eternity.
Steadily we climb again ( Makes me sick. Think to hard on the other side. ) Step into a hidden room ( Can't stare too long at the softest light ) Searchin' for another out ( Old wounds get infected by the ) Found a tunnel heading down ( Heat of an oven gone cold too long ) Suddenly I hear the sound ( Get my mind off the pain with the medicine ) Coming from behind the wall ( Just the idea of a thought brings it round again ) Suddenly a light appears ( Get my mind off the pain. Off the pain. ) Rapidly some something nears... ( Get my mind off the pain. Off the pain. )
He describes Sisyphus going up and down the hill and looking for a tunnel or a way out. At the same time he describes how he tries to get away from his suffering.
so far, the surfing thing makes the most sense, especially mentioning waves and sandcastles. and also, when i think of other pinback songs, some of the interpretations are very literal, and don't usually have a deep meaning. like "penelope." it's about a goldfish. "hurley" is about a snowball fight and "walters" is about larry walters. this song could suggest a deeper meaning, but to me, it just mentions too many things about beaches to mean anything depressing.