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.
I saw the world through my window
I saw the world on parade
With all of its beauty and all of its power
And all of it fading away
So I'm holding on to nothing less
Than what's keeping me strong and it's
One True Love that keeps me sane
And out of all that I've got
The only thing that won't change is this
One True Love
One True Love
And there's One True Love in this world of lies
And out of all the beauty I've found
I find there's only One True Love
And there's One True love
And I heard the words of a wise man
He said there's only two ways you can go
One way you can save your riches
And the other will save your soul
What in the world could this world give
That could ever compare with the
One True Love that keeps me sane
And out of all that I've got
The only thing that won't change is this
One True Love
One True Love
And there's One True Love in this world of lies
And out of all of the beauty I've found
I find there's only One True Love
And there's One True Love
And the light shines in my heart in the night
I want to shine it everywhere I go
When the rest of the world passes by me
I hope they will see
The One True Love that they all need
We need One True Love
And there's One True Love that keeps me sane
And out of all that I've got
The only thing that won't change is this
One True Love
One True Love
And there's One True Love in this world of lies
And out of all the beauty I've found
I find there's only One True Love
There's One True Love
And there's One True Love
And there's One True Love
I saw the world on parade
With all of its beauty and all of its power
And all of it fading away
So I'm holding on to nothing less
Than what's keeping me strong and it's
One True Love that keeps me sane
And out of all that I've got
The only thing that won't change is this
One True Love
One True Love
And there's One True Love in this world of lies
And out of all the beauty I've found
I find there's only One True Love
And there's One True love
And I heard the words of a wise man
He said there's only two ways you can go
One way you can save your riches
And the other will save your soul
What in the world could this world give
That could ever compare with the
One True Love that keeps me sane
And out of all that I've got
The only thing that won't change is this
One True Love
One True Love
And there's One True Love in this world of lies
And out of all of the beauty I've found
I find there's only One True Love
And there's One True Love
And the light shines in my heart in the night
I want to shine it everywhere I go
When the rest of the world passes by me
I hope they will see
The One True Love that they all need
We need One True Love
And there's One True Love that keeps me sane
And out of all that I've got
The only thing that won't change is this
One True Love
One True Love
And there's One True Love in this world of lies
And out of all the beauty I've found
I find there's only One True Love
There's One True Love
And there's One True Love
And there's One True Love
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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.”
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