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.
When things are outta whack and they might collapse
And at the end of the day you still can't relax
And physically you ache like a cavity feelin' the bind
On your mind and the rest of your body
Listen to your heartbeat flow and imagine
Become Jackson Pollack air brush Chinese dragons
On a sky blue conversion van or an electra
Buick of the mind full of luminous matter
And slowly all the pressure recedes and you stop to decay
Naturally think clearly ultimately though your grace
Will give way to traffic jams
Submachine guns in hand
City red-necks who think like the omega man
Feelin' the extremes of the times we're livin'
Stockpile spaghetti-o's and cheerios
Plannin' to survive that fall-out shit
It's not ambiguous it be continuous
It's all about us it's for real my man
The continuous life there is no end
Movin' through life movin' through death
It's not ambiguous it be continuous
It's all about us it's for real my man
The continuous life there is no end
Movin' through life movin' through death
My radio emits a signal form
A loud noise the kind of which I've never heard before
I scan the dial for more stations but all I get
Is an eerie feelin' I'm not dreaming' this is the real dealin
There's nothin like this trance I'm caught in a daze
'cause I'm finally out of my body the blue lights are ablaze
Yeah I'm really amazed and feelin' so light that's right
Lift off and I'm into the sky
As if a hologram were created to shift my consciousness
Changed again and I'm flung in the rift
I want to be free I want to do right
I move through the portal to be purified
It's not ambiguous it be continuous
It's all about us it's for real my man
The continuous life there is no end
Movin' through life movin' through death
It's not ambiguous it be continuous
It's all about us it's for real my man
The continuous life there is no end
Movin' through life movin' through death
When we shed the skin, we'd be continuous
Catch the feelin', you're for real
The continuous life, there is no end
Movin' through life, movin' through death
And at the end of the day you still can't relax
And physically you ache like a cavity feelin' the bind
On your mind and the rest of your body
Listen to your heartbeat flow and imagine
Become Jackson Pollack air brush Chinese dragons
On a sky blue conversion van or an electra
Buick of the mind full of luminous matter
And slowly all the pressure recedes and you stop to decay
Naturally think clearly ultimately though your grace
Will give way to traffic jams
Submachine guns in hand
City red-necks who think like the omega man
Feelin' the extremes of the times we're livin'
Stockpile spaghetti-o's and cheerios
Plannin' to survive that fall-out shit
It's not ambiguous it be continuous
It's all about us it's for real my man
The continuous life there is no end
Movin' through life movin' through death
It's not ambiguous it be continuous
It's all about us it's for real my man
The continuous life there is no end
Movin' through life movin' through death
My radio emits a signal form
A loud noise the kind of which I've never heard before
I scan the dial for more stations but all I get
Is an eerie feelin' I'm not dreaming' this is the real dealin
There's nothin like this trance I'm caught in a daze
'cause I'm finally out of my body the blue lights are ablaze
Yeah I'm really amazed and feelin' so light that's right
Lift off and I'm into the sky
As if a hologram were created to shift my consciousness
Changed again and I'm flung in the rift
I want to be free I want to do right
I move through the portal to be purified
It's not ambiguous it be continuous
It's all about us it's for real my man
The continuous life there is no end
Movin' through life movin' through death
It's not ambiguous it be continuous
It's all about us it's for real my man
The continuous life there is no end
Movin' through life movin' through death
When we shed the skin, we'd be continuous
Catch the feelin', you're for real
The continuous life, there is no end
Movin' through life, movin' through death
Lyrics submitted by punkybrewster
The Continuous Life Lyrics as written by Douglas Martinez Chad Sexton
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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damn, nobody posted squat about this song. Transistor is such a display of art by 311. They spent a hell of a lot of time in the studio to mix this masterpiece. This song is definitely SA's words about his out of body experiences. Trippy as hell.
damn, nobody posted squat about this song. Transistor is such a display of art by 311. They spent a hell of a lot of time in the studio to mix this masterpiece. This song is definitely SA's words about his out of body experiences. Trippy as hell.
Yes, defintely about out of body experiences.I've had some myself, and SA does a great job of describing them...anyone who has had an out of body experience will tell you that he does a nice job of explaining it artistically and accurately.
I agree, oct. Transistor is my favorite album. It's so...atmospheric!
I agree with ak11, I have plenty of out-of-body-experiences while I take my lunch breaks at work. This song might also be about Buddhism: In Buddhism, when you die, you are reborn and then die again. This continues forever and the only way to stop it is to reach nirvana, an ideal condition of rest, harmony, stability, or joy. I was once dung beetle!
This song is about "Cosmic Conciousness".... do some research on it.. It'll only help you understand what 311's all about!
this song really puts life in perspective
"My radio emits a signal form A strange noise the kind of which I've never heard before"
This part is about his out of body experience he had in college.He said he heard a loud noise in his head.
"Cuz I'm finally out of my body The blue lights are ablaze"
This part is the blue lights he saw.^
"Yeah I'm really amazed And feelin' so light that's right Lift off and I'm into the sky As if a hologram were created To shift my conciousness Changed again and I'm flung In the rift"
This part is self explanitory.You can look on youtube and watch the interview where SA explains what happened in detail.I also think he's saying that his out of body experience showed him that the spirit realm exists,hence" the continuous life,there is no end,moving through life,moving through death"
lets not forget about the troubling future, the coming economic collapses and 'that fallout shit', sa touches on. one of their best. right on 311.
I think this one's about freeing your troubles through driving and music.
There's no doubt our friend 311 knows what life's about. When you figure it out, you'll find it possesses quite a heavy weight (for lack of a better term). I believe this was written to lift some of the weight that can feel endless and heard to escape sometimes. Especially when you're having a bad day, things escalate quickly. This is expressed by the first verse until...
"Listen to your heartbeat" When this verse starts, I believe the answer to getting away from it all, so to speak, is driving. If you've ever had a bad day and you drive it off, you do indeed feel much better. The conversion van and Electra are names of very comfortable vehicles. Anyway, as you listen to your heartbeat, you calm down. It is then you can remember that life is continuous. You're going to be here whether you're having a piss poor time or not.
"My radio emits a signal form" The next verse describes either a drugged experience or simply changing the stations of music in the car. Each different station puts him in different moods and thought processes. I could completely relate if he happened to be high or trippin. If you can too, congradulations. If you can't, there's no way I can explain any better than it has been for you in this glorious lyric.
Yay 311. See you in New Orleans.