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.
Trapped in heaven life style (locked in long kesh)
New looking out for pleasure (H-block torture)
It's at the end of the rainbow (white noise in)
The happy ever after (a white room)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
Is at the end of the rainbow
Dig at the root of the problem (fly the flag on foreign soil)
It breaks your new dreams daily (H-Block Long Kesh)
Fathers contradictions (censor six counties news)
And breaks your new dreams daily (each day more deaths)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
Is at the end of the rainbow
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
Trapped in heaven life style (locked in Long Kesh)
New looking out for pleasure (h-block torture)
It's at the end of the rainbow (white noise in)
The happy ever after (a white room)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
It's at the end of the rainbow
Dig at the root of the problem (fly the flag on foreign soil)
It breaks your new dreams daily (H-Block Long Kesh)
Fathers contradictions (censor six counties news)
And breaks your new dreams daily (each day more deaths)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
It's at the end of the rainbow
There may be oil (now looking out for pleasure)
Under Rockall (it's at the end of the rainbow)
There may be oil (the happy ever after)
Under Rockall (it's corked up with the ether)
There may be oil (it's corked up with the ether)
Under Rockall (it's corked up with the ether)
There may be oil
New looking out for pleasure (H-block torture)
It's at the end of the rainbow (white noise in)
The happy ever after (a white room)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
Is at the end of the rainbow
Dig at the root of the problem (fly the flag on foreign soil)
It breaks your new dreams daily (H-Block Long Kesh)
Fathers contradictions (censor six counties news)
And breaks your new dreams daily (each day more deaths)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
Is at the end of the rainbow
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
White noise in a white room
Trapped in heaven life style (locked in Long Kesh)
New looking out for pleasure (h-block torture)
It's at the end of the rainbow (white noise in)
The happy ever after (a white room)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
It's at the end of the rainbow
Dig at the root of the problem (fly the flag on foreign soil)
It breaks your new dreams daily (H-Block Long Kesh)
Fathers contradictions (censor six counties news)
And breaks your new dreams daily (each day more deaths)
Dirt behind the daydream
Dirt behind the daydream
The happy ever after
It's at the end of the rainbow
There may be oil (now looking out for pleasure)
Under Rockall (it's at the end of the rainbow)
There may be oil (the happy ever after)
Under Rockall (it's corked up with the ether)
There may be oil (it's corked up with the ether)
Under Rockall (it's corked up with the ether)
There may be oil
Lyrics submitted by lizardwings182, edited by jpaulo
Ether Lyrics as written by David Allen Andrew Gill
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I have always enjoyed the push and pull of this song's rhythmic structure. The bass part gets lodged into my head often, and I came onto this site for the lyrics before searching elsewhere for more details on the track. I found a great article here that shares Jon King's insights on this song along with the rest of the Entertainment LP.
clashmusic.com/feature/gang-of-four-track-by-track
"There’d been a report published in the mid 70’s that found the British Government guilty of torturing IRA suspects. They used to, among a smorgasbord of cruelties, make suspects stand up for hours in hoods while white noise was played at gross volumes to break their will. The Americans, years later, tweaked this format by playing hard rock to the holed up General Noriega in Panama until he surrendered. As US Sergeant Mark Hadsell said at the time: 'These people haven't heard heavy metal. They can't take it. If you play it for 24 hours, your brain and body functions start to slide, your train of thought slows down and your will is broken. That's when we come in and talk to them.' Yeah, dude.
Whatever, the report on what was being done in our name was shameful; reported back to us on TV, alongside some other world atrocity, while we were enjoying ourselves, unwinding at the end of the day, getting ready for fun and games. So the notion was for 2 voices, telling scripted parallel stories. One voice, the one who’s living his fine life, says 'Locked in heaven’s lifestyle' while the other, at the same time, says 'locked in Long Kesh' (the prison for IRA & UDF members in Northern Ireland). Etc. You get the picture. This one does this as the other does that. The run out chant 'There may be oil in Rockall!', was based on our paranoid notion that the reason the British annexed, in 1955, an ugly & tiny rock in the deep Atlantic was less about stopping the Russians spy on NATO missile tests than the fact there might be oil about to pillage. And it came to pass! In 2007 the Brits announced a claim to vast swathes of the Atlantic for 350 miles around the rock! The first example of eco-colonialism!"
I cant believe this song has no comments. I really love this song. its my favorite gang of four song.
It's about internment in Northern Ireland
man this song is been so inspirational to me
SOLID.
These lyrics kind of remind me of Nineteen Eighty-Four.
It's about internment in Northern Ireland being quickly forgotten about by the general public when North Sea Oil was discovered.
Although I am perfectly aware that the song's original subject is IRA detainment and North Sea oil, times have changed - this song is now the anthem of the crypto market, especially if one is investing in ethereum.