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.
They say to me
- Open this door
Curiosity screams
Whatever could it be
Back behind that door
A piano
The keys are all dusty
The strings are all untuned
Back behind that door
At the piano
But she plays no more
It is so long ago
On the piano
She's who I hear
She began to play
She took my breath away
She said to me too
That I'll stay with you
But it just seemed to be
She played alone for me
I poured her blood
In the fire of my rage
I locked up her shrine
They questioned in time
At the piano
She's who I hear
She began to play
She took my breath away
At the piano
I stand by her
But it just seemed to be
She played alone for me
They opened up the door
And how they cried
I heard her mother plea
Her father struck out at me
They tore her from her chair
No one believed me there
I was so insane
With the stench and the pain
At the piano
She's who I hear
She began to play
She took my breath away
At the piano
She's who I hear
As I began to play
I took her breath away
- Open this door
Curiosity screams
Whatever could it be
Back behind that door
A piano
The keys are all dusty
The strings are all untuned
Back behind that door
At the piano
But she plays no more
It is so long ago
On the piano
She's who I hear
She began to play
She took my breath away
She said to me too
That I'll stay with you
But it just seemed to be
She played alone for me
I poured her blood
In the fire of my rage
I locked up her shrine
They questioned in time
At the piano
She's who I hear
She began to play
She took my breath away
At the piano
I stand by her
But it just seemed to be
She played alone for me
They opened up the door
And how they cried
I heard her mother plea
Her father struck out at me
They tore her from her chair
No one believed me there
I was so insane
With the stench and the pain
At the piano
She's who I hear
She began to play
She took my breath away
At the piano
She's who I hear
As I began to play
I took her breath away
Lyrics submitted by John M
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A man falls in love with a pianist and her music. He simply CANNOT have anyone else listen to this music but him, so he locks her up and makes her play for him. Soon people begin to get worried and brake down the wall to find her dead at the piano. They rush into the room filled with the stench of the corpse and lock away the man in prison where she plays for him in his mind over and over again.
this has got to be the saddest song that i have ever heard in my life...a man finds someone he really loves and the love triggers a pent-up catharsis leading to such ultimate loss....the concept itself is maddening
this is such a strong song...
I have a different idea. This man's wife, girlfriend, signifigant other, is dead. We all got that much, but the man is bright lighted at the police station for possible suspects (such as himself.) I came to that though with the "questioned in time" line.
I've been working on a flash film for this, about a piano teacher from way back (George Washington's time period...I'm too stupid to know...) who has a little....obsession... with his student... to the point of killing her, "Sie speilt fur mich allein" as the song says lol
ok yea i get that someone is dead, and i also agree that maybe he is getting questioned cos at the beginning its like a a police trick to get him to go into the area where the woman died, maybe to try to get him to confess he killed her. It also does sound like a music teacher who was in love with his student cos the mother and father were there and they were attacking him when they saw her. Just a thought tho may not b right
I don't want to make waves and have everyone here jump on me, but I've seen it translated differently and it seems a little more literal than this one. cringes
"They say to me unlock this door the curiosity becomes a scream what certainly could be behind it behind this door stands a piano the keys are dusty the strings are out of tune behind this door she sits at the piano but she doesn't play anymore oh, that was so long ago There, at the piano I listened to her and when her playing began I held my breath She said to me I'll always stay with you but it only seemed that she played for me alone I poured her blood into the fire of my rage I locked the door they asked for her There, at the piano I listened to her and when her playing began I held my breath There, at the piano I stood beside her it seemed she played for me alone The door is open oh, how they scream I hear the mother pleading the father is beating me they take her from the piano and no one believes me here that I am deathly ill from sorrow and the stench There, at the piano I listened to her and when her playing began I held my breath There, at the piano she listened to me and when my playing began she held her breath"
Does that seem any better? It's almost the same, but this is translated a little more closely, I think. Either way, its still one of the most sad and beautiful songs I've ever heard. Even in German you can still tell by his voice.
The lyrics you've posted plus the lyrics already here help put a better understanding on what the song might actually mean.
To me it seems like a story about a man who loved a girl and when she played the piano, it represented their love to him.
Some thing might have happened, perhaps just the passing of time, or her playing changed a bit, and he grew wary of their love.
Never wanting their love and the music to die, he locked her in a room with the piano to play for him alone as he stood by her.
Keeping her as a 'pet' away from everyone, people began to wonder where she was.
Eventually they found the room with her corpse still at the chair and him a) standing over her as if she was playing, or perhaps b) holding her dead fingers and playing for her.
The next part lays it out pretty well.
He then goes to jail for her murder and the police take him back to the scene of the crime where the beginning of the song takes place.
Very powerful story telling no matter the meaning though.
The lyrics you've posted plus the lyrics already here help put a better understanding on what the song might actually mean.
To me it seems like a story about a man who loved a girl and when she played the piano, it represented their love to him.
Some thing might have happened, perhaps just the passing of time, or her playing changed a bit, and he grew wary of their love.
Never wanting their love and the music to die, he locked her in a room with the piano to play for him alone as he stood by her.
Keeping her as a 'pet' away from everyone, people began to wonder where she was.
Eventually they found the room with her corpse still at the chair and him a) standing over her as if she was playing, or perhaps b) holding her dead fingers and playing for her.
The next part lays it out pretty well.
He then goes to jail for her murder and the police take him back to the scene of the crime where the beginning of the song takes place.
Very powerful story telling no matter the meaning though.