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.
Woke up in the morning staggered out of bed
Thought about getting back again, but went downstairs instead
Read the daily paper have to know the truth
Slammed the door as I ran outside, looked at my watch and cried
Gotta get to work on time
Gotta get to work on time
Then the sky turned a deeper blue
Not a cloud as the sun shone through
But all around rain kept falling to the ground
The wind was blowing but the trees didn't make a sound
Just another alien afternoon
Just another alien afternoon
Time that I was leaving while there's still a chance
Before I start believing in what I see or hear
Nothing here to keep me, nothing anywhere
Gotta get out pack my bags before I go insane
Gotta get away in time
Gotta get away in time
Then the sky turned from blue to green
Took on colors I have never seen
Then a sound started ringing in my ears
I heard voices but in truth there's nobody there
Just another alien afternoon
Just another alien afternoon
To be there back where I belong
To feel again the wind upon my face
To see again all that I took for granted
All that I left and everything I knew
We are home
We are your home
We are all your home
Not another alien afternoon
Never more to go wandering
Never leaving my world behind
There was never a reason
To leave my heart and my home behind
Where I was born is where I should be now
I would never be lonely
I would never be sad again
I wanted to go anywhere
I wanted to see how strange it all could be
Nothing would ever take me away again
Never more to go wandering
Never leaving my world behind
No, no, no, no
Nothing will ever take me away again, away again
No, no, no, no
Thought about getting back again, but went downstairs instead
Read the daily paper have to know the truth
Slammed the door as I ran outside, looked at my watch and cried
Gotta get to work on time
Gotta get to work on time
Then the sky turned a deeper blue
Not a cloud as the sun shone through
But all around rain kept falling to the ground
The wind was blowing but the trees didn't make a sound
Just another alien afternoon
Just another alien afternoon
Time that I was leaving while there's still a chance
Before I start believing in what I see or hear
Nothing here to keep me, nothing anywhere
Gotta get out pack my bags before I go insane
Gotta get away in time
Gotta get away in time
Then the sky turned from blue to green
Took on colors I have never seen
Then a sound started ringing in my ears
I heard voices but in truth there's nobody there
Just another alien afternoon
Just another alien afternoon
To be there back where I belong
To feel again the wind upon my face
To see again all that I took for granted
All that I left and everything I knew
We are home
We are your home
We are all your home
Not another alien afternoon
Never more to go wandering
Never leaving my world behind
There was never a reason
To leave my heart and my home behind
Where I was born is where I should be now
I would never be lonely
I would never be sad again
I wanted to go anywhere
I wanted to see how strange it all could be
Nothing would ever take me away again
Never more to go wandering
Never leaving my world behind
No, no, no, no
Nothing will ever take me away again, away again
No, no, no, no
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Alien Afternoon Lyrics as written by Michael Rutherford Anthony George Banks
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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parberoo that more or less sums it up. This song has nothing to do with aliens. Our protagonist feels like an alien in his new town and is longing for the place where everything makes sense and people are real and the sky never 'turns green'. I am a huge Genesis fan; they are my second favorite band in the world. This album and Ray Wilson were fine with me; I think the reason Genesis fizzled had a lot less to do with the loss of Phil and more to do with the fact that the adult contemporary-ish model that still worked with 'We Can't Dance' in '91 was no longer a draw in '97 and Mike and Tony had run out of viable ideas for material that would resonate with their longtime fan base.