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.
Black then white are all I see in my infancy.
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
Lets me see.
As below, so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn beyond the lines of reason.
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must
Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines.
Black then white are all I see in my infancy.
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
Lets me see there is so much more
And beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities.
As below, so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn outside the lines of reason.
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind.
Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line.
Reaching out to embrace the random.
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come.
Come embrace my desire to, come embrace my desire to,
Feel the rhythm, to feel connected
Enough to step aside and weep like a widow
To feel inspired, to fathom the power,
To witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain,
To swing on the spiral, to swing on the spiral, swing on the spiral.
Of our divinity and still be a human.
With my feet upon the ground I lose myself
Between the sounds and open wide to suck it in,
I feel it move across my skin.
I'm reaching up and reaching out,
I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been.
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been.
Spiral out. Keep going, going
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
Lets me see.
As below, so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn beyond the lines of reason.
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must
Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines.
Black then white are all I see in my infancy.
Red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
Lets me see there is so much more
And beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities.
As below, so above and beyond, I imagine
Drawn outside the lines of reason.
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.
Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind.
Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line.
Reaching out to embrace the random.
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come.
Come embrace my desire to, come embrace my desire to,
Feel the rhythm, to feel connected
Enough to step aside and weep like a widow
To feel inspired, to fathom the power,
To witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain,
To swing on the spiral, to swing on the spiral, swing on the spiral.
Of our divinity and still be a human.
With my feet upon the ground I lose myself
Between the sounds and open wide to suck it in,
I feel it move across my skin.
I'm reaching up and reaching out,
I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been.
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been.
Spiral out. Keep going, going
Lyrics submitted by Everlong, edited by swiftau, ouzts12, GiselleFreude17
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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To me, the song is simply about appriciating life for what it is, and enjoying it. Lets take a look...
"Black then white are all I see in my infancy. red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me. lets me see." Anyone else notice that the colors mentioned are the traditional "skin tones?" What does that have to do with it? I'm not sure.
"As below, so above and beyond, I imagine drawn beyond the lines of reason. Push the envelope. Watch it bend." In other words, open your eyes to other possibilities... what you don't see. What you can't see.
"Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind. Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines." Don't think... feel. Don't stay within the boundaries of society. This song means a LOT to me... so much that I can't put it into words.
"Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line. Reaching out to embrace the random. Reaching out to embrace whatever may come" Take things as they are.
"I embrace my desire to feel the rhythm, to feel connected enough to step aside and weep like a widow to feel inspired, to fathom the power, to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain, to swing on the spiral of our divinity and still be a human." Like I said... its about appriciating life.
"With my feet upon the ground I lose myself between the sounds and open wide to suck it in, I feel it move across my skin. I'm reaching up and reaching out, I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me. And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been. We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been." Extra sensory... senses. Sense your enviornment. Simple, yet so very complex. Branch out... SPIRAL out.
"Black then white are all I see in my infancy. <br /> red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me. <br /> lets me see."<br /> <br /> You may wish to consider this in terms of the development of the primate visual processing systems.<br /> <br /> Black and white (no color)<br /> Red and yellow (the earliest colors we monkeys could see)<br /> <br /> scientificamerican.com/article.cfm<br /> <br /> The "infinite possibilities" would be a reference to the entire light spectrum.<br /> <br />
That makes sense; this song may then be about the next step in the human evolutionary line, involving even greater capacities for perception and consciousness. Same overall message, then, as Forty-Six and 2.
Amazing, man. I've always wondered what this song is about and I don't think i would have ever come up with that kind of explanation but it makes so much sense. In addition, I believe he's just talking about having a spiritual connection while in this physical world.
i've read many times that the native austrailians first used to paint they're bodies black and white, and then they used the colors red and yellow....they say thats where it's inspired from...