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.
Prepare to witness a place of gore
Of legal dissection and blood on the floor
Carved up corpses, in the corner
Sliced up by a psychotic coroner
Slice, dice, chop them haphazardly
Like laboratory mice, splatter brain matter
Pound on the skull until it shatters
Hack, slice, chop, carve, rip and tear
Carving up your eyeballs, watch them sit and stare
Tear, rip, slice, carve, chop, hack
Toss them into a sack
Tags on bare feet, means a real treat, to the butcher of human meat
Slice the throat from ear to ear, gallons of blood do appear
Veins exposed, torn from bodies, the most interesting of hobbies
To get paid for such a task is more than any man could ask
Prepare to witness a place of gore
Of legal dissection and blood on the floor
Carved up corpses, in the corner
Sliced up by a psychotic coroner
Slice, dice, chop them haphazardly
Like laboratory mice, splatter brain matter
Pound on the skull until it shatters
Hack, slice, chop, carve, rip and tear
Carving up your eyeballs, watch them sit and stare
Tear, rip, slice, carve, chop, hack
Toss them into a sack
Ripping, tearing your skin turning red
Vile surgeon, knife cutting in
Evil doctor death drove him insane
Of legal dissection and blood on the floor
Carved up corpses, in the corner
Sliced up by a psychotic coroner
Slice, dice, chop them haphazardly
Like laboratory mice, splatter brain matter
Pound on the skull until it shatters
Hack, slice, chop, carve, rip and tear
Carving up your eyeballs, watch them sit and stare
Tear, rip, slice, carve, chop, hack
Toss them into a sack
Tags on bare feet, means a real treat, to the butcher of human meat
Slice the throat from ear to ear, gallons of blood do appear
Veins exposed, torn from bodies, the most interesting of hobbies
To get paid for such a task is more than any man could ask
Prepare to witness a place of gore
Of legal dissection and blood on the floor
Carved up corpses, in the corner
Sliced up by a psychotic coroner
Slice, dice, chop them haphazardly
Like laboratory mice, splatter brain matter
Pound on the skull until it shatters
Hack, slice, chop, carve, rip and tear
Carving up your eyeballs, watch them sit and stare
Tear, rip, slice, carve, chop, hack
Toss them into a sack
Ripping, tearing your skin turning red
Vile surgeon, knife cutting in
Evil doctor death drove him insane
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Fast Car
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
I Can't Go To Sleep
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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.
Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Good title for a song and there are some clear thrash elements in it you can tell only probalem was it was a bit short. I dunno another Cannibal Corpse no brainer it's about a coroner who likes to mutilate dead bodies... Yeah that's illeagal, he's not even a zombie he's just a normal dude!