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.
It's not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat
More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash
It's a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race
More than just blind ambition
More than just simple greed
More than just a finish line
Must feed this burning need
In the long run
From first to last
The peak is never passed
Something always fires the light
That gets in your eyes
One moment's high
And glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades
In the summer sky
Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride
More than high performance
More than just a spark
More than just the bottom line
Or a lucky shot in the dark
In the long run
You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat
More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash
It's a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race
More than just blind ambition
More than just simple greed
More than just a finish line
Must feed this burning need
In the long run
From first to last
The peak is never passed
Something always fires the light
That gets in your eyes
One moment's high
And glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades
In the summer sky
Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride
More than high performance
More than just a spark
More than just the bottom line
Or a lucky shot in the dark
In the long run
You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"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.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This song analyzes our potential as human beings to desire, create and achieve goals in our "lifetime". The metaphors may be used to reflect our potential as individuals. Neil Peart once explained that this song was inspired by the Chinese proverb "A journey of 1000 miles starts with the first step", that can be associated with "You can do a lot in your lifetime, if you don´t burn out too fast", Peart here is evoking our capacity to understand our pace in Life, be patient and strive for great deeds and to maximize our existence, not with "ambition or greed", but with the joy of achieving our inner dreams. It´s probably the only way to respect our human nature. The main differential with other species is that we have imagination and emotions, why not use this capacities as a trigger for the realization of our mission?
Power Windows = Best Rush Album
i love this song so much. i have it on a work out cd i made and it just keeps me going when im running.
A Rush song that I don't remember liking the first time I heard it, but now that I listened to it a second time it's grown on me.
I agree with floydfan, I didn't like it at first but then started loving it, like most other songs on power windows.
Power Windows is a terribly underrated album - it's definitely their prize from their experimentation with synthesizers and electronics - they still remained edgy, with a rock-taste but had that 80s flare - that flare that defined what the 80s was. I feel that Rush is probably one of those up there that defined the electronic sound of the 80s (sure there were pop artists, heavy metal artists, and dedicated electronic artists, but Rush definitely stood out).
Anyway moving on, I personally didn't like Big Money but it was more of a radio-single than anything profound. But Mystic Rhythms, Marathon and Middletown Dreams are my favourite songs - that kind of cry out to you.
Rush== Pinnacle of 80s Awesomeness. I wish I were about 15 years older just so I could have grown up to Rush: (
personally i think alex is genious on this entire album...yea their 80s stuff went more poppy and geddy loved his synths but alex really shows the emotion he puts into his playing, you can really tell in the solo of this song.
I too, didn't care for the song much, at first...but it has grown to be one of my favorites. I like the live version on A Show of Hands best. That powerful ending is in full force on that one, whereas it fades out on the studio version, and can easily go unnoticed,
I disagree with Number 4. I think Hold Your Fire is their best album...but Power Windows is certainly not too far behind.
As far as the meaning of the lyrics goes, (the whole point of this website, remember?), I think it is pretty self-explanatory in this song. There have been a number of flash-in-the-pans in most fields of endeavor. Brilliant people who came along, with great feats...only to vanish as fast as they appeared. They allowed success to go to their heads, thought themselves invincible...and self-destructed. Sadly, not many stick around and keep producing, year after year.
Rush practised what they preached in this song. They were in it for the long-haul, and did a lot in their lifetime.
to NUMBER 4 ....
top 3 albums for sure, arguably top 2, behind moving pictures...but hemispheres gets a vote...
This song analyzes our potential as human beings to desire, create and achieve goals in our "lifetime". The metaphors may be used to reflect our potential as individuals. Neil Peart once explained that this song was inspired by the Chinese proverb "A journey of 1000 miles starts with the first step", that can be associated with "You can do a lot in your lifetime, if you don´t burn out too fast", Peart here is evoking our capacity to understand our pace in Life, be patient and strive for great deeds and to maximize our existence, not with "ambition or greed", but with the joy of achieving our inner dreams. It´s probably the only way to respect our human nature. The main differential with other species is that we have imagination and emotions, why not use this capacities as a trigger for the realization of our mission?