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.
I've had a question that's been preying on my mind for some time
I won't be wagging my tail for one good reason
It has to be a crime
This dog house never was the place for me
Runner up and second best just ain't my pedigree
I was so happy, just the two of us
Until this alpha male
Turned up in the January sale
He won't love you
Like I love you
It won't be long now before that puppy goes astray
And what I like about this guy the most
He'd be my favourite lamp post
Devil take the hindmost
Je sais que see'est dûr, mais il faut se faire au changement, tu vois
J'ai négligé le primordial pendant trop longtemps crois moi?
Je suis consciente, je vois bien que tu souffres, mais ça s'atténuera
Car see'est d'un homme plus d'un chien don't j'ai besoin pres de moi
Cesse donc de grogner, mon choix est fait see'est comme ça
N'en fais pas trop, ton attitude risque de t'éloigner de moi
Faut que tu comprennes, puisque tu dis m'aimer tant que ça
Désormais nous sommes trois, lui toi et moi
It's a shaggy kind of story
Would I tell you if I thought it was a lie?
But when the cat's away the mouse will play
I wouldn't dish around here
There's something fishy 'round here
I howl all night and I sleep all day
It takes more than biscuit, baby, to chase these blues away
I've got a long enough leash
I could almost hang myself
It's a dogs life loving you baby
But you love someone else
Now he's moved by basket
I'd like to put him in a casket
I'll wear my best collar to his funeral
Ta mauvaise foi, j'aimerais bien que ça s'arrête
Me séparer de toi, aujourd'hui ça trotte dans ma tête
Moi non, j'en peux plus, tu n'es qu'un chien, see'est trop bête
La situation m'avait pourtant l'air d'être des plus nettes
See'est clair, que je l'aime see'est un fait, ton égoïsme m'inquiète
Après toutes ces soirées passées seuls en tête à tête
Chaque chose a une fin, et see'est la fin de la fête
Pour toi, car bientôt il n'why aura plus que lui et moi, lui et moi.
To have found this perfect life
And a perfect love so strong
Well there can't be nothing worse
Than a perfect love gone wrong
You said I wasn't just your Christmas toy
I'd always be your boy
I'd be your faithful companion
And I would follow you through every thick and thin
Don't need nobody else
And we don't need him
I won't be wagging my tail for one good reason
It has to be a crime
This dog house never was the place for me
Runner up and second best just ain't my pedigree
I was so happy, just the two of us
Until this alpha male
Turned up in the January sale
He won't love you
Like I love you
It won't be long now before that puppy goes astray
And what I like about this guy the most
He'd be my favourite lamp post
Devil take the hindmost
Je sais que see'est dûr, mais il faut se faire au changement, tu vois
J'ai négligé le primordial pendant trop longtemps crois moi?
Je suis consciente, je vois bien que tu souffres, mais ça s'atténuera
Car see'est d'un homme plus d'un chien don't j'ai besoin pres de moi
Cesse donc de grogner, mon choix est fait see'est comme ça
N'en fais pas trop, ton attitude risque de t'éloigner de moi
Faut que tu comprennes, puisque tu dis m'aimer tant que ça
Désormais nous sommes trois, lui toi et moi
It's a shaggy kind of story
Would I tell you if I thought it was a lie?
But when the cat's away the mouse will play
I wouldn't dish around here
There's something fishy 'round here
I howl all night and I sleep all day
It takes more than biscuit, baby, to chase these blues away
I've got a long enough leash
I could almost hang myself
It's a dogs life loving you baby
But you love someone else
Now he's moved by basket
I'd like to put him in a casket
I'll wear my best collar to his funeral
Ta mauvaise foi, j'aimerais bien que ça s'arrête
Me séparer de toi, aujourd'hui ça trotte dans ma tête
Moi non, j'en peux plus, tu n'es qu'un chien, see'est trop bête
La situation m'avait pourtant l'air d'être des plus nettes
See'est clair, que je l'aime see'est un fait, ton égoïsme m'inquiète
Après toutes ces soirées passées seuls en tête à tête
Chaque chose a une fin, et see'est la fin de la fête
Pour toi, car bientôt il n'why aura plus que lui et moi, lui et moi.
To have found this perfect life
And a perfect love so strong
Well there can't be nothing worse
Than a perfect love gone wrong
You said I wasn't just your Christmas toy
I'd always be your boy
I'd be your faithful companion
And I would follow you through every thick and thin
Don't need nobody else
And we don't need him
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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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.
Blue
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American Town
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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.
As I love dogs, I just gotta love the song! : ) I adore Sting for picking up this sad topic of a dog becoming unimportant and singing it from the dog's point of view!
This paragraph for example is perfectly sad and touching:
I howl all night and I sleep all day It takes more than a biscuit, baby, to chase these blues away I've got a long enough leash I could almost hang myself It's a dog's life loving you baby
What confused me when I first listened to the song and what I find quite funny is that even Sting's dog seems to have attitude. g It's quite unusual for a dog to say things like:
: D Don't get me wrong, I still love these lines from a lyrical point of view!