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.
You're standing by your grey ice water
Out in the wind above ground out in the weather
You had yourself a crazy lover
Becoming frozen trying hard to forget her
You got a job up in Alaska
It's easy to save what the cannery pays
Cause there ain't no way to spend it
At home on a boat, it's a fish trap
You took the path of least resistance
On the phone cutting out talking
Short to long distance
You're standing by your grey ice water
Out in the wind above ground out in the water
You had yourself a crazy lover
Become unfrozen trying hard to forget her
You got a job up in Alaska
It's easy to save what the cannery pays
Cause there ain't no way to spend it
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
Out in the wind above ground out in the weather
You had yourself a crazy lover
Becoming frozen trying hard to forget her
You got a job up in Alaska
It's easy to save what the cannery pays
Cause there ain't no way to spend it
At home on a boat, it's a fish trap
You took the path of least resistance
On the phone cutting out talking
Short to long distance
You're standing by your grey ice water
Out in the wind above ground out in the water
You had yourself a crazy lover
Become unfrozen trying hard to forget her
You got a job up in Alaska
It's easy to save what the cannery pays
Cause there ain't no way to spend it
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
On the arctic blast
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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.
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.
yeah. this is a great song. to me this song has really special meaning. i go to a maritime academy and am training to become a engineer on trade ships. before i went off to school i broke up with my girlfriend. we had been having some problems and i thought instead of trying to maintain a long distance relationship it would be best just to break it off. looking back it is one of the wost mistakes i have ever made. now im basically out at sea without her and having a hard time getting over it. we've talked a few times but it always makes things worse for me and i feel like im stuck out here now. most people think this would be great becuase im learning a lot and when i get out i have a great job lined up but without her it seems a bit pointless.
@owen1391 5 years later...<br /> <br /> I've been going through a long distance relationship for the last year and a half, me and my girlfriend have no way that we can see to be together. Different countries, bureaucratic issues. Life is bitterly funny when you're in love, or even just think you are, and bureaucracy and the lines people draw in the dirt keep you apart. She's training for a cruise ship job that she'll be contracted to for 6 months. It's still scary. <br /> <br /> Anyway, i really just wanted to see if you respond. What happened, if you still regret it, if it worked out, if you ended up back together, if you're still standing by your grey ice water.
This song is about, forgetting the one you loved, but that person didn't really love you back, and now you move far away. just for you to forget about them. and you kinda are living with demons. and wanna go back but you know that person still wont love you the way you loved them.
Alaska carries a certain mystique to people in the northwest...it's the end of the world, a place to go to forget all of your troubles. Case in point.
beautiful song. grey ice water, alaska, arctic blast..you are trying to forget them so you isolate yourself and move north, maybe the cold will distract you from the pain in your heart.. but now you're "on the phone cutting out talking short to long distance" and the conversation is so stupid and futile but it happens anyways because we never can forget our crazy lovers
You all pretty much nailed it. It's about trying to forget someone that you loved and isolating yourself from everything in hopes that you can somehow forget the person. Such a sad concept.
I love how his voice and the girl's voice mesh on this song. It's so sadly beautiful.
Yeah, I'm agreeing. Forgetting that lover mentioned in the song.
I love the way this song is so calm and relaxed, slightly sad maybe. The song seems to really capture the idea of leaving things behind, maybe starting anew is what I think of when I hear it.
great song, this one.
I picture the narrator of this song standing on the ice miles from shore on a frozen sea. The long Alaskan winter is ending and he will soon plummet to his death. In his last moments he is lamenting how he got here.
No analysis, just god damn, the best band I ever saw live and I had the luxury of seeing them play this live, greatest band of this century and please someone fkn tell me otherwise.
i like thisi song.
This is the greatest song on Building Nothing