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.
There's a gap in between
There's a gap where we meet
Where I end and you begin
And I'm sorry for us
The dinosaurs roam the earth
The sky turns green
Where I end and you begin
(4, 5, 6, 7)
I am up in the clouds
I am up in the clouds
And I can't, and I can't come down
I can watch and not take part
Where I end and where you start
Where you, you left me alone
You left me alone
X will mark the place
Like the parting of the waves
Like a house falling in the sea
In the sea
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
And there'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
And there'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
And there'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
There's a gap where we meet
Where I end and you begin
And I'm sorry for us
The dinosaurs roam the earth
The sky turns green
Where I end and you begin
(4, 5, 6, 7)
I am up in the clouds
I am up in the clouds
And I can't, and I can't come down
I can watch and not take part
Where I end and where you start
Where you, you left me alone
You left me alone
X will mark the place
Like the parting of the waves
Like a house falling in the sea
In the sea
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
And there'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
And there'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
And there'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
There'll be no more lies
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
I will eat you alive
Lyrics submitted by ruben, edited by GRUNGExADDICT
Where I End and You Begin Lyrics as written by Edward John O'brien Colin Charles Greenwood
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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its about change, and how time changes you whether you want it to or not. its about your present self and all your former selves, and about reclaiming what you once were. changing yourself for the better isnt the invention of a new self but returning to your own uncorrupted self, the self that's been in heaven ever since you decided to ignore it (and has been secretly plotting your demise) I think the line dinosaurs roam the earth is the former uncorrupted self talking to the present one about never really letting you completely abandon your innocence even though you can never completely return. and that line and the one after the sky turns green where you end and i begin. seem to be taken from the song fog. ' theres a little child running 'round this house, and he never leaves... ...and the fog comes up from the sewers and glows in the dark... how did you go bad?'
I like what you're thinking. 'Where You End and I Begin' seems like it would be about two separate people, but it could just as well be about two selves in one person. The dinosaur: the former, genuine self abandoned (Where you, you left me alone, You left me alone) by this other different, present (perhaps dishonest: 'There will be no more lies') self. And the old dinosaur self has had enough and it's going to force itself across that 'gap' and eat the present one alive. Good shit man. Thanks for helping me think about this differently.