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.
Bright lights, big city
Was quite extraordinary.
The drive was pretty.
I was in perfect company.
The love of a lifetime,
Since we were elementary friends;
The one with the bright eyes..
Why can't I be optimistic?
I tried to find the logic logically.
I had a dream and I could not shake it.
I was standing up there naked.
There's fear in the truth at hand, frozen I forgot to understand
The live keep living; growing older more into a man..
And I let her grow away from me.
Love.. love is not pretending.
Time.. time was meant for mending
Memories into all is satisfactory,
Healthy smiles fill the page the day we spent in miles.
And I let her drive away from me.
The one with the bright eyes
Laughed her way inside this music box;
Stored away in the corner of my heart. And I let her get away from me
But I'll never take that day away from me.
Was quite extraordinary.
The drive was pretty.
I was in perfect company.
The love of a lifetime,
Since we were elementary friends;
The one with the bright eyes..
Why can't I be optimistic?
I tried to find the logic logically.
I had a dream and I could not shake it.
I was standing up there naked.
There's fear in the truth at hand, frozen I forgot to understand
The live keep living; growing older more into a man..
And I let her grow away from me.
Love.. love is not pretending.
Time.. time was meant for mending
Memories into all is satisfactory,
Healthy smiles fill the page the day we spent in miles.
And I let her drive away from me.
The one with the bright eyes
Laughed her way inside this music box;
Stored away in the corner of my heart. And I let her get away from me
But I'll never take that day away from me.
Lyrics submitted by DMBphan41
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Great version of a great song,
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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This song is amazing. How often do we watch someone walk away from us because we get too busy or you don't tell them how you really feel... until it is too late. All you have left are the memories from those wonderful times that you shared together.
Theres another verse right before "The one with the bright eyes/Laughed..."
And as she left I heard her sing: Let the sun shine in And face it with grin, So smilers they never lose, And frowners they never win. Let the sun shine in again again again again Face it with a grin. And open up your heart, shine, And let the sun shine in.
This is a great song
My interpretation:
Bright lights, big city Was quite extraordinary. The drive was pretty. I was in perfect company. The love of a lifetime, Since we were elementary friends; The one with the bright eyes..
Two young neighborhood kids ended up in the back seat of her parents car on a trip home. They were in the same classroom their whole life and they got to talk to each other for 3 hours, the drive through the big city of Boston had them awestruck. His name was Glenn, she had blue eyes.
Why can't I be optimistic? I tried to find the logic logically. I had a dream and I could not shake it. I was standing up there naked.
The boy had a disease, he father had already died from it. He was in and out of the hospital. He didn't talk about his health issues with anyone. It was affecting his heart. He had little reason to be optimistic, he couldn't understand what and why this happened to him.
There's fear in the truth at hand, frozen I forgot to understand The live keep living; growing older more into a man.. And I let her grow away from me.
He knows his fate. Every one expects that the live keep living, and mostly they do, but he has good reason to expect that he won't, so he gets his mind of off his illness by thinking about how he let her grow ( and get ) away from him. He never told her how he felt.
Love.. love is not pretending. Time.. time was meant for mending Memories into all is satisfactory, Healthy smiles fill the page the day we spent in miles. And I let her drive away from me.
Love was created, talking and laughing on a long road trip. His time is literaly spent healing. "mending" time resting, thinking about all the memories, the smiles (healthy smiles) that evening in the car.
The one with the bright eyes Laughed her way inside this music box; Stored away in the corner of my heart. And I let her get away from me But I'll never take that day away from me.
Laughed her way in to his beautiful poetic expression. She and that trip is stored away in the corner of his heart. It was all about his heart. He died the summmer before his Sophmore year of high school. The illness affected his heart.
That's the story. RIP Glenn
tear
One of his best for definate.
one of his most sincere songs and the first verse is just amazing, possibly my favorite song of his. i like the parallels too: "grow more into a man/and i let her grow away from me" & "days we spent in miles/i let here drive away from me". one of those songs that if you associate with someone, it will stick with you forever.
this song represents jason mraz's beauty at its best, music wise.
his voice is so great in this song. i love it.
this is such a pretty song i luv the last verse its so cute...peace
love love love love love this song. :)