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.
Life's really a chocolate box
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
From the cradle to the grave,
Point your ladle to the gravy.
"Food comes first, then morals" they say,
The end of the world's three hot meals away.
Two average men eat their average meals
But destiny waits at their table.
One is served gruel while the other chews veal,
(But they're both spoon fed lies, lies from the cradle).
Life's really a chocolate box,
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
Tragic moments for the masses
Work is the curse of the drinking classes
"Homo homini lupus" we cry
Humanity fades like the moon in the sky.
You can't cook an omlette without breaking eggs,
(First they are cracked and then beaten).
The only things cracked around here are our heads,
Recepies for disaster that we keep repeating.
Life's really a chocolate box,
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
Here's a real beggars banquet,
A brace of rats in a blood stained blanket.
Meanwhile, gentlefolk high in their chateau,
Dip silver spoons into black forest gateau.
Come lords and ladies, raise glasses in toast
To the "other-half" dying to eat.
'Cause they who receive feast deserve it the most,
It's a literal dead-end (Inequality Street).
Life's really a chocolate box,
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
Life's really a chocolate box,
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
From the cradle to the grave,
Point your ladle to the gravy.
"Food comes first, then morals" they say,
The end of the world's three hot meals away.
Two average men eat their average meals
But destiny waits at their table.
One is served gruel while the other chews veal,
(But they're both spoon fed lies, lies from the cradle).
Life's really a chocolate box,
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
Tragic moments for the masses
Work is the curse of the drinking classes
"Homo homini lupus" we cry
Humanity fades like the moon in the sky.
You can't cook an omlette without breaking eggs,
(First they are cracked and then beaten).
The only things cracked around here are our heads,
Recepies for disaster that we keep repeating.
Life's really a chocolate box,
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
Here's a real beggars banquet,
A brace of rats in a blood stained blanket.
Meanwhile, gentlefolk high in their chateau,
Dip silver spoons into black forest gateau.
Come lords and ladies, raise glasses in toast
To the "other-half" dying to eat.
'Cause they who receive feast deserve it the most,
It's a literal dead-end (Inequality Street).
Life's really a chocolate box,
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
Life's really a chocolate box,
Some do without, others have plenty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
It sticks in my throat, my stomach's in knots,
While your box is so full, mine's perpetually empty.
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Incredibly written by Walkyier.
I think it's pretty straightforward and sarcastic - especially if anyone's ever seen the music video. The song begins depicting two different images - the poor, who struggle to eat, and the wealthy, who don't even realize the poor exist.
As in true Walkyier sarcastic form, he speaks from the point of view of the poor man, but adds the last line - 'Cause they who receive feast deserve it the most' - making a statement that those who are poor are so because they choose not to advance themselves. The video shows this as well.
Another point of interest is the line: "Raise glasses in toast to the 'other-half' dying to eat." Walkyier loves these play-on-words and this has to do with both the "other half" being the poor and "half-dying to eat", which is what the poor are.
It's not "they who receive feast deserve it the most", it's "they who receive least deserve it the most". Which is pretty clear.
That's correct, it is "least." I'm not sure if I agree with that line 100%--though I do agree with the opposite, that those who receive most deserve it the least.
As a highly unsuccessful band for many years, Skyclad lyrics about poverty and even hunger are written from personal experience.