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.
Nightfall follows the day
You fight with me
Fill me with patience
I was so brave once
You rescued me
Got in my way
A thousand times
Dumbfounded lies
In tidy lines
Let blood flood the town
Thoughts that dwell
On how we fell
That time will tell
A bedside story of
We've heard it before
Unsettled sleep
When will it all stop?
I hear a pin drop
You've answered me
Loud and clear
So know your fate
The time and date
We escalate
We fall on holy ground
Thoughts that dwell
On how we fell
That time will tell
A bedside story of
I'm here
Leave me to wait near
You recognise me
Get in my way, dear
The price to pay, dear
You'll recognise me
I'll be laying
Where your golden light
Where your golden light
A thousand times
In tidy lines
Let blood flood the town
Thoughts that dwell
On how we fell
That time will tell
A bedside story of
You fight with me
Fill me with patience
I was so brave once
You rescued me
Got in my way
A thousand times
Dumbfounded lies
In tidy lines
Let blood flood the town
Thoughts that dwell
On how we fell
That time will tell
A bedside story of
We've heard it before
Unsettled sleep
When will it all stop?
I hear a pin drop
You've answered me
Loud and clear
So know your fate
The time and date
We escalate
We fall on holy ground
Thoughts that dwell
On how we fell
That time will tell
A bedside story of
I'm here
Leave me to wait near
You recognise me
Get in my way, dear
The price to pay, dear
You'll recognise me
I'll be laying
Where your golden light
Where your golden light
A thousand times
In tidy lines
Let blood flood the town
Thoughts that dwell
On how we fell
That time will tell
A bedside story of
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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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Ok... here I go... This is song is in the slow, smoky category of Gomez songs. It hilights Ben Ottewell's bluesy vocals that are really unique in music today and it's his vocals are what makes this song great.
It's a classic tale of breaking up with his girl, which is a theme often visited by the boys. I like the first verse about how he liked her from the start because she rescued him by getting in his way, which I take to mean that despite their fighting, she got him out of his routines, which is good. The rest of the song seems to be about how he feels that for good or bad, it's over between them and we'll see if it was the right decision or not in time, and it'll be like a bedtime story... that is so cool. "A 1000 times, in tidy lines, Let blood flood the town" is a little scary. It brings up imagery of the lines of somenone getting cut, but the tidy lines could be the 1000 times they hurt each other with lies and fights, and he's tired of it and they should let themselves bleed out their wounds in forgiveness and move on. Good stuff.