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.
Tonight I feel ambitious and so does my foot
as it sinks on the pedal
I press it to the floor
I don't need a girl, don't need a friend
Cause my friend Lonesome's unconditional
We're flying forever bored
And for a moment I love everything that I see and think and feel
I love my broken side view mirror
Cause it's so perfect I'm so perfect you're so perfect you're not here
I hear the change in gears
My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song
The night is beckoning
Although I have nowhere to go but home
Feels good to be alone
With every turn comes a new frame of mind
If I could frame my mind
Where would it hang?
My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song
I crack a window and feel the cool air cleanse my every pore
As I pour my poor heart out
To a radio song that's patient and willing to listen
My volume drowns it out
Yeah, but that's O.K. cause I sound better than him anyway, any day
Yeah, my voice is as sweet as salt
I search for comfort and I find it where I've found it many times before
Times before can be forgotten
My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song
as it sinks on the pedal
I press it to the floor
I don't need a girl, don't need a friend
Cause my friend Lonesome's unconditional
We're flying forever bored
And for a moment I love everything that I see and think and feel
I love my broken side view mirror
Cause it's so perfect I'm so perfect you're so perfect you're not here
I hear the change in gears
My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song
The night is beckoning
Although I have nowhere to go but home
Feels good to be alone
With every turn comes a new frame of mind
If I could frame my mind
Where would it hang?
My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song
I crack a window and feel the cool air cleanse my every pore
As I pour my poor heart out
To a radio song that's patient and willing to listen
My volume drowns it out
Yeah, but that's O.K. cause I sound better than him anyway, any day
Yeah, my voice is as sweet as salt
I search for comfort and I find it where I've found it many times before
Times before can be forgotten
My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by JakeofallTrades33
Open Road Song Lyrics as written by James Collins Anthony Fagenson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I love this song. I first heard it at the beginning of the move "Can't Hardly Wait". I love that movie, but this song kicks ass. Fuck eveyone and go on a road trip!
i think the ending is CrzyGmOfPkr19 's second explaination. that he found comfort in his girlfriend or the source that made him take his road trip, and he hasta forget that and just drive.
"thephobia 09-26-2006
This song is not about driving at all. It's a metaphor about a lifestyle. Came upon it differently, but I live this lifestyle.
^I agree with this interpretation wholeheartedly, well done indeed. Anyone who thinks this song has anything at all to do with operating a motor vehicle in any capacity is completely missing the point.
I think it is also important to note that the use of "Eighty" is more than likely a reference to "Ada Wong" from the popular Resident Evil video game series. We know that both the song and the video game came out at relatively the same time, and if you say "Eighty" slow it kind of sounds like you might say "Ada Wong" instead. Lead singer Max Collins knew this, and used it as the basis of this song and quite possibly the basis for the entire album.
Road trip song. That's all I gotta say.
wow this is the greatest cruising song EVER written. i love it so much!
At first I thought he was talking about stepping on a distortion pedal but then I realized.
yeah i don't think so, hence the name, i think he's driving
i can't decide about the last line "I search for comfort and I find it where I've found it many times before Times before can be forgotten"... either he's saying, sometimes you forget the most obvious places you can go for comfort, or he needs to forget where he could go for comfort before b/c he can't go there anymore (ie ex-girlfriend) i dunno, probably the first explanation...
or... he can't find any comfort. he's forgotten the times when he's found comfort :(<br /> ps, my pile shakes too ;)
Damn, Max rules at writing songs. These lyrics are great and this song is very vengeful. It's like driving because you are pissed off but getting over it. He's like -fuck everyone else, I rule no matter what they say and my opinion is all that matters-. I search for comfort and I find it where I've found it many times beforem times before can be forgotten.
"And for a moment I love everything I see and think and feel I love my broken side view mirror Cause it's so perfect I'm so perfect you're so perfect you're not here "
i think that feeling pionts up has to be one of the best feelings in the world until u get to the end and u start missing someone...i'm sure u all have felt it before