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.
It ain't no fun lying down to sleep
And there ain't no secrets left for me to keep
I wish the stars up in the sky
Would all just call in sick
And the clouds would take the moon out
On some one-way trip
I drove all night down streets that wouldn't bend
But somehow they drove me back here once again
To the place I lost at love, and the place I lost my soul
I wish I'd just burn down this place that we called home
It would all have been so easy
If you'd only made me cry
And told me how you're leaving me
To some organ grinder's lullaby
It's hard, so hard, it's tearing out my heart
It's hard letting you go
Now the sky, it shines a different kind of blue
And the neighbor's dog don't bark like he used to
Well, me, these days
I just miss you, it's the nights that I go insane
Unless you're coming back for me
That's one thing I know that won't change
It's hard, so hard, it's tearing out my heart
It's hard letting you go
Now some tarot card shark said I'll draw you a heart
And we'll find you somebody else new
But I've made my last trip to those carnival lips
When I bet all that I had on you
It's hard, it's hard, it's hard, so hard
It's hard letting you go
It's hard, so hard, it's tearing out my heart
But it's hard letting you go
And there ain't no secrets left for me to keep
I wish the stars up in the sky
Would all just call in sick
And the clouds would take the moon out
On some one-way trip
I drove all night down streets that wouldn't bend
But somehow they drove me back here once again
To the place I lost at love, and the place I lost my soul
I wish I'd just burn down this place that we called home
It would all have been so easy
If you'd only made me cry
And told me how you're leaving me
To some organ grinder's lullaby
It's hard, so hard, it's tearing out my heart
It's hard letting you go
Now the sky, it shines a different kind of blue
And the neighbor's dog don't bark like he used to
Well, me, these days
I just miss you, it's the nights that I go insane
Unless you're coming back for me
That's one thing I know that won't change
It's hard, so hard, it's tearing out my heart
It's hard letting you go
Now some tarot card shark said I'll draw you a heart
And we'll find you somebody else new
But I've made my last trip to those carnival lips
When I bet all that I had on you
It's hard, it's hard, it's hard, so hard
It's hard letting you go
It's hard, so hard, it's tearing out my heart
But it's hard letting you go
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
(It's Hard) Letting You Go Lyrics as written by Jon Bon Jovi
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is so sad! I wish none of us had to go through this.
when he sings 'it's tearing out my heart' God is that amazing!!!! Maybe she died, i mean he says, it would have been easy if you'd made me cry, or left me for someone else, also, 'unless you come back for me' or it could be alot more simple and he's just been dumped. Moving all the same. and a seriously underated album.
Well, I indeed think it's about someone he doesn't want to let go, but I think we should have a closer look at the part : " I drove all night down streets that wouldn't bend But somehow they drove me back here once again To the place I lost at love, and the place I lost my soul I wish I'd just burn down this place that we called home "
This means: no matter what happens, no matter how many lovers I'll have after you... I will never love them as much as I loved you and when I take a look at my life, I always get back here... So his life is like a pattern. It always ends up with sadness over the loss of his love.
This is what Jon has said about this song:
"I made this for the movie I can been seen in soon, 'Moonlight and Valentino', and it will suprise the fans. This really isn't a Bon Jovi song. You just hear me, Richie, and some electronic equipment. I play the keyboards in this song and did the singing live. It really was a gift for the producers of 'Moonlight and Valentino', recorded on a tape. A sort of 'thank you' for letting me play in the movie. And promptly they used it as a soundtrack. And now I put it onto this album too. It's funny really, originally only a few people would have heard this song. And now, all of a sudden, it's both movie-music and a real album-track. But I'm happy with it anyhow. I had the script, I know the story well, but I didn't want to write a song for the movie. But I couldn't help myself. I wrote it as a gift to one of the producers who was so kind to me. I gave her the cassette and she loved it. So I recorded it."
This song is about something that most will people go through at some point in their lives. There is no longer any pleasure in anything anymore, in ths song even the moon and stars hold look ugly and jaded, because this is how he feels at that time. There is no other place in the world he would rather be than at home with the woman he used to love and always will love. She obviously left him for some other guy, and it is quite simply killing him. He has to let her go. But unless she comes back to him, he will always be dreaming of her and nothing will ever look the same.
Thank you for this comment, pal. Very interesting. But as someone said, I would agree that the character lost their love but in other way, he/she just died...
This song honestly always makes me cry. I really love the bit where he says "Well I've made my last trip to those carnival lips When I bet all that I had on you"
Great song
I agree with "Linz e",this album's been seriously underated.I love this album,an all time fav of mine.
I sought of think this song leads on after Livin' on a prayer, because i think his love ran away in this song. When it says: "It would all have been so easy If you'd only made me cry And told me how you're leaving me to some organ grinder's lullaby" Its like she never told him in person so it hurts alot more. In Livin' on a prayer it says "Gina dreams of running away", so it could run on from it.
Interesting, but I think it's overinterpretation.
I'm listening to this song right now. It is absolutely amazing... And so sad :( Kinda brings tears to my eyes when I hear this part: Well - me, these days I just miss you - it's the nights that I go insane.... :( And the meaning... Well it's quite obvious. They broke up, but he can't really move on with his life.
Bon Jovi, best damn band ever!!! :)
Definitely it's the best one.
I've always thought that it was about someone trying to move on after their wife has died, from the line "leaving me to some organ grinder's lullaby", since an organ grinder is associated with death. And since the speaker wants to "burn down this place that we called home", and you make a home with your spouse. And especially since he "bet all he had" - when you get married you think it's forever, and he didn't consider that he'd have to move on from her.
And then I read Arash's comment, about how Jon Bon Jovi wrote it for 'Moonlight and Valentino', which is all about moving on from her husband's death.