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.
Two men, started walking
Started talking about better days
One says to the other
We do it all again
Seems I knew I would
And now I found it
Found I adored it
I didn't want this
Can somebody help me see?
And now I feel it
Feel that I've been there
I didn't need this
Will somebody help me breathe?
Here we are again
Just face to facing each other another day
Who wins? Well, who cares
It always ends up the same
Seems I knew I would
And now I found it
Found I adored it
I didn't want this
Can somebody help me see?
And now I feel it
Feel that I've been there
I didn't need this
Can somebody help me stand?
And now I've told them
Already warned them
I didn't want this
Can somebody help me breathe?
If I was them then I wanna be what I see
If I could plant my life in a moment
Wanna know, do you want me to go?
Gonna keep it all from ending
Never stop myself from pretending
That you always knew that I never could
All I ever really wanted was to be the same
Equal treatment never ever comes
And there they go again
All I ever really wanted was to be like you
So perfect, so worthless
If I could take it all back, think again, I would
And now I found it
Found I adored it
I didn't want this
Can somebody help me see?
And now I feel it
Feel that I've been there
I didn't need this
Can somebody help me stand?
And now I've told them
I want this, I need this
Can somebody help me breathe?
Can somebody help me breathe? Yeah
Will somebody help me
Started talking about better days
One says to the other
We do it all again
Seems I knew I would
And now I found it
Found I adored it
I didn't want this
Can somebody help me see?
And now I feel it
Feel that I've been there
I didn't need this
Will somebody help me breathe?
Here we are again
Just face to facing each other another day
Who wins? Well, who cares
It always ends up the same
Seems I knew I would
And now I found it
Found I adored it
I didn't want this
Can somebody help me see?
And now I feel it
Feel that I've been there
I didn't need this
Can somebody help me stand?
And now I've told them
Already warned them
I didn't want this
Can somebody help me breathe?
If I was them then I wanna be what I see
If I could plant my life in a moment
Wanna know, do you want me to go?
Gonna keep it all from ending
Never stop myself from pretending
That you always knew that I never could
All I ever really wanted was to be the same
Equal treatment never ever comes
And there they go again
All I ever really wanted was to be like you
So perfect, so worthless
If I could take it all back, think again, I would
And now I found it
Found I adored it
I didn't want this
Can somebody help me see?
And now I feel it
Feel that I've been there
I didn't need this
Can somebody help me stand?
And now I've told them
I want this, I need this
Can somebody help me breathe?
Can somebody help me breathe? Yeah
Will somebody help me
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O.K. here is my explenation of this song.. but i don't know if it's correct english cause i'm from holland=P.. it's a very long text sorry for that=P I hope It'll help you guys understanding this song;)
I think the song is about.. How chad wanted to be like the people who are popular.. but he didn't see that was going to be a nightmare, he saw that when he finally got there..(And now I feel it Feel that I've been there) like the people who are popular.. they are 'perfect', but actually not.. they can't be the people who they are from the inside.. and that's why the are 'worthless' they must pretend to be perfect and I think that is a very hard life to have and a very stupid thing to want.. chad realized that too and that's why he wrote this song
meaning of some lines: ' he'd(=we'd) do it all again..' means that everybody wants to be perfect everybody wants to be loved by everybody..
'seems I knew I would' He knew from the beginning he was going to make a mistake but he didn't realize it at that point
'Here we are again Just face to facing Each other another day Who wins But who cares' He was talking tothat man from the beginning of this song and he knew that man was right .. but it doesn't matter because no one will believe until they've seen it themselves and that means like 'it always ends up the same..'
'Wanna know do you want me to go Gonna keep it all never ending Never stop myself from pretending That you always knew that I never could' He thinks the man which warned him at the beginning wanted him to leave the top of popularity, but the man knew that going away from being popular is like falling down a hundred miles and that is a hard crash.. so the man knew chad couldn't leave the top and that he never will.. but chad will not admit that because then he will fall down..
Chad feels like he has no freedom like he can't breathe..
sorry for this long message but i couldn't say it shorter because i just wanna proove I'm right:P
(and maybe the popular thing you can swich that to fame.. maybe that's more how he experienced it but I think that's almost the same..)