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.
The sun rises to another day
My constitution keeps changing
'Til it slips away
So I lie awake and stare
My mind thinking just wondering
Is anybody there?
[Chorus]
Should I stay or go
Should I sleep or stay awake
Am I really happy or is it all
Just an illusion
Sitting in my room now
Hiding thoughts
Just hoping one day I'll get out
I hear a voice call my name
Breaking trance so silent
So I can stay the same
[Chorus]
Wait now, many things left unsaid
This life remains the same
But I change
I try to force myself in believing
Things are going to get better
But life goes on
[Chorus]
My constitution keeps changing
'Til it slips away
So I lie awake and stare
My mind thinking just wondering
Is anybody there?
[Chorus]
Should I stay or go
Should I sleep or stay awake
Am I really happy or is it all
Just an illusion
Sitting in my room now
Hiding thoughts
Just hoping one day I'll get out
I hear a voice call my name
Breaking trance so silent
So I can stay the same
[Chorus]
Wait now, many things left unsaid
This life remains the same
But I change
I try to force myself in believing
Things are going to get better
But life goes on
[Chorus]
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"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
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"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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This song, along with pity for a dime, has the best guitarist work ever. damn, tremonti really rips some spirit into the twisted roar of this hard-to-shake-off solo. You can't appreciate how much talent is needed to play such a solo unless you actually play yourself. this song isn't that hard to play, but the effect is out of this world!
agreed from 1st time i heard this cd i knew it was pure gold. really ashame that every song on this cd didn't hit the radio. I love every one on cd.
Scott wrote this song while on an acid trip.
The line in the beginning isn't 'is anybody there?' it's 'does anybody care?'
I think this song has to do with emptiness in one's life. And I think this because of these lines: 'i try to fool myself in believing / things are going to get better' It's an illusion because he thinks it's going to get better but it's not.
Great song :-D
This song is amazing...Creed was the first band I ever got into, and this was always my favorite song. It really reminds me of my adolescence, because I have struggled with bipolar disorder since I was about 9, and I'm 18 now...so this song is definitely one I can relate to. Especially the indecisiveness of the entire song...
Seems like a crisis of identity.
First, the lyrics booklet does say it's "is anybody there?", but I have to agree with Michael, it sounds like, "does anybody care?". This actually happens a lot in CD booklets, but anyway..
I think the song is about being in a dark place (look at most of the lyrics and listen to the tone of the song) for days on end ("This life remains the same") and changing what one believes until one doesn't know what to believe anymore ("My constitution keeps changing/'Til it slips away"). It's also about falsely believing things will change for the better and needing to initiate the change on one's own ("I try...life goes on"). The person questions whether any "happiness" felt in this state is only an illusion of happiness.
The other interpretations and comments make sense too.