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.
THE ROOF OF THE OPERA HOUSE (SCENE 10)
(A statue of 'La Victoire Ailee' - the same as that which tops the proscenium. It is twilight. CHRISTINE and RAOUL rush on)
RAOUL
Why have you brought us here?
CHRISTINE
Don't take me back there!
RAOUL
We must return!
CHRISTINE
He'll kill me!
RAOUL
Be still now . . .
CHRISTINE
His eyes will find me there!
RAOUL
Christine, don't say that . . .
CHRISTINE
Those eyes that burn!
RAOUL
Don't even think it . . .
CHRlSTlNE
And if he has to kill
a thousand men -
RAOUL
Forget this waking nightmare . . .
CHRISTINE
The Phantom of the Opera will kill . . .
RAOUL
This phantom is a fable . . .
Believe me . . .
CHRISTINE
. . . and kill again!
RAOUL
There is no Phantom of the Opera . . .
CHRISTINE
My God, who is this man . . .
RAOUL
My God, who is this man . . .
CHRISTINE
. . . who hunts to kill . . .?
RAOUL
. . . this mask of death . . .?
CHRISTINE
I can't escape from him . . .
RAOUL
Whose is this voice you hear . . .
CHRISTINE
. . .I never will!
RAOUL
. . . with every breath . . .?
BOTH
And in this
labyrinth,
where night is blind
the Phantom of the Opera
is here:
inside your/my mind . . .
RAOUL
There is no Phantom of the Opera . . .
CHRISTINE
Raoul, I've been there -
to his world of
unending night . . .
To a world where
the daylight dissolves
into darkness . . .
darkness . . .
Raoul, I've seen him!
Can I ever
forget that sight?
Can I ever
escape from that face?
So distorted,
deformed, it
was hardly a face,
in that darkness . . .
darkness . . .
(trancelike, then becoming more and more ecstatic)
But his voice
filled my spirit
with a strange, sweet sound . . .
In that night
there was music
in my mind . . .
And through music
my soul began
to soar!
And I heard
as I'd never
heard before . . .
RAOUL
What you heard
was a dream
and nothing more . . .
CHRISTINE
Yet in his eyes
all the sadness
of the world . . .
Those pleading eyes,
that both threaten
and adore . . .
RAOUL (comforting)
Christine . . .
Christine . . .
PHANTOM (unseen, a ghostly echo of RAOUL's words)
Christine . . .
CHRISTINE
What was that?
(A moment, as their eyes meet. The mood changes.)
RAOUL
No more talk
of darkness,
Forget these
wide-eyed fears.
I'm here,
nothing can harm you -
my words will
warm and calm you.
Let me be
your freedom,
let daylight
dry -your tears.
I'm here,
with you, beside you,
to guard you
and to guide you . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you love me
every
waking moment,
turn my head
with talk of summertime . . .
Say you need me
with you,
now and always . . .
promise me that all
you say is true -
that's all I ask
of you . . .
RAOUL
Let me be
your shelter,
let me
be your light.
You're safe:
No-one will find you
your fears are
far behind you . . .
CHRISTINE
All I want
is freedom,
a world with
no more night . . .
and you
always beside me
to hold me
and to hide me . . .
RAOUL
Then say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
Iet me lead you
from your solitude . . .
Say you need me
with you
here, beside you . . .
anywhere you go,
let me go too -
Christine,
that's all I ask
of you . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
say the word
and I will follow you . . .
BOTH
Share each day with
me, each
night, each morning . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you love me . . .
RAOUL
You know I do . . .
BOTH
Love me -
that's all I ask
of you . . .
(They kiss)
Anywhere you go
let me go too . . .
Love me -
that's all I ask
of you . .
(CHRISTINE starts from her reverie)
CHRISTINE
I must go -
they'll wonder where I am . . .
wait for me, Raoul!
RAOUL
Christine, I love you!
CHRISTINE
Order your fine horses!
Be with them at the door!
RAOUL
And soon you'll be beside me!
CHRISTINE
You'll guard me, and you'll guide me . . .
(They hurry off. The PHANTOM emerges from behind the statue)
PHANTOM
I gave you my music . . .
made your song take wing . . .
and now, how you've
repaid me:
denied me
and betrayed me . . .
He was bound to love you
when he heard you sing . . .
Christine ...
Christine ...
RAOUL AND CHRISTINE (offstage)
Say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
say the word
and I will follow you . . .
Share each day with
me, each
night, each morning . . .
PHANTOM
You will curse the day
you did not do
all that the Phantom asked
of you . . .!
(As the roof of the opera house disappears, the opera curtain closes and the PRINCIPALS in 'Il Muto' appear through it for their bows, CHRISTINE conspicuously dressed in CARLOTTA'S costume. simultaneously, we hear the maniacal laughter of the PHANTOM and see him high above the stage, perilously rocking the chandelier. The lights of thechandelier begin flickering and, at a great cry from him, it descends, swinging more and more madly over the orchestra pit)
PHANTOM
Go! !
(The chandelier falls to the stage at CHRISTINE'S feet)
(A statue of 'La Victoire Ailee' - the same as that which tops the proscenium. It is twilight. CHRISTINE and RAOUL rush on)
RAOUL
Why have you brought us here?
CHRISTINE
Don't take me back there!
RAOUL
We must return!
CHRISTINE
He'll kill me!
RAOUL
Be still now . . .
CHRISTINE
His eyes will find me there!
RAOUL
Christine, don't say that . . .
CHRISTINE
Those eyes that burn!
RAOUL
Don't even think it . . .
CHRlSTlNE
And if he has to kill
a thousand men -
RAOUL
Forget this waking nightmare . . .
CHRISTINE
The Phantom of the Opera will kill . . .
RAOUL
This phantom is a fable . . .
Believe me . . .
CHRISTINE
. . . and kill again!
RAOUL
There is no Phantom of the Opera . . .
CHRISTINE
My God, who is this man . . .
RAOUL
My God, who is this man . . .
CHRISTINE
. . . who hunts to kill . . .?
RAOUL
. . . this mask of death . . .?
CHRISTINE
I can't escape from him . . .
RAOUL
Whose is this voice you hear . . .
CHRISTINE
. . .I never will!
RAOUL
. . . with every breath . . .?
BOTH
And in this
labyrinth,
where night is blind
the Phantom of the Opera
is here:
inside your/my mind . . .
RAOUL
There is no Phantom of the Opera . . .
CHRISTINE
Raoul, I've been there -
to his world of
unending night . . .
To a world where
the daylight dissolves
into darkness . . .
darkness . . .
Raoul, I've seen him!
Can I ever
forget that sight?
Can I ever
escape from that face?
So distorted,
deformed, it
was hardly a face,
in that darkness . . .
darkness . . .
(trancelike, then becoming more and more ecstatic)
But his voice
filled my spirit
with a strange, sweet sound . . .
In that night
there was music
in my mind . . .
And through music
my soul began
to soar!
And I heard
as I'd never
heard before . . .
RAOUL
What you heard
was a dream
and nothing more . . .
CHRISTINE
Yet in his eyes
all the sadness
of the world . . .
Those pleading eyes,
that both threaten
and adore . . .
RAOUL (comforting)
Christine . . .
Christine . . .
PHANTOM (unseen, a ghostly echo of RAOUL's words)
Christine . . .
CHRISTINE
What was that?
(A moment, as their eyes meet. The mood changes.)
RAOUL
No more talk
of darkness,
Forget these
wide-eyed fears.
I'm here,
nothing can harm you -
my words will
warm and calm you.
Let me be
your freedom,
let daylight
dry -your tears.
I'm here,
with you, beside you,
to guard you
and to guide you . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you love me
every
waking moment,
turn my head
with talk of summertime . . .
Say you need me
with you,
now and always . . .
promise me that all
you say is true -
that's all I ask
of you . . .
RAOUL
Let me be
your shelter,
let me
be your light.
You're safe:
No-one will find you
your fears are
far behind you . . .
CHRISTINE
All I want
is freedom,
a world with
no more night . . .
and you
always beside me
to hold me
and to hide me . . .
RAOUL
Then say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
Iet me lead you
from your solitude . . .
Say you need me
with you
here, beside you . . .
anywhere you go,
let me go too -
Christine,
that's all I ask
of you . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
say the word
and I will follow you . . .
BOTH
Share each day with
me, each
night, each morning . . .
CHRISTINE
Say you love me . . .
RAOUL
You know I do . . .
BOTH
Love me -
that's all I ask
of you . . .
(They kiss)
Anywhere you go
let me go too . . .
Love me -
that's all I ask
of you . .
(CHRISTINE starts from her reverie)
CHRISTINE
I must go -
they'll wonder where I am . . .
wait for me, Raoul!
RAOUL
Christine, I love you!
CHRISTINE
Order your fine horses!
Be with them at the door!
RAOUL
And soon you'll be beside me!
CHRISTINE
You'll guard me, and you'll guide me . . .
(They hurry off. The PHANTOM emerges from behind the statue)
PHANTOM
I gave you my music . . .
made your song take wing . . .
and now, how you've
repaid me:
denied me
and betrayed me . . .
He was bound to love you
when he heard you sing . . .
Christine ...
Christine ...
RAOUL AND CHRISTINE (offstage)
Say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime . . .
say the word
and I will follow you . . .
Share each day with
me, each
night, each morning . . .
PHANTOM
You will curse the day
you did not do
all that the Phantom asked
of you . . .!
(As the roof of the opera house disappears, the opera curtain closes and the PRINCIPALS in 'Il Muto' appear through it for their bows, CHRISTINE conspicuously dressed in CARLOTTA'S costume. simultaneously, we hear the maniacal laughter of the PHANTOM and see him high above the stage, perilously rocking the chandelier. The lights of thechandelier begin flickering and, at a great cry from him, it descends, swinging more and more madly over the orchestra pit)
PHANTOM
Go! !
(The chandelier falls to the stage at CHRISTINE'S feet)
Lyrics submitted by fallacies
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