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.
So, it's how the story goes.
And we come to the scene where I'm holding you close.
She moves, moves like a thin dulling blade
Cuts, all the words that I said.
The only difference is,
The only difference is,
The truth,
The truth is I miss you.
Cry on demand.
How'd you learn to?
Cry on demand.
Teach me if you want to.
Though you don't have to.
I just close my eyes and think of you.
Real. Real like a plastic bouquet.
That thrives on the smoke from an old fireplace.
And dies every night with her face on the news.
Nobody cries, they just smoke and stare and their shoes.
The only difference is,
The only difference is,
Nobody can cry,
It's hard to do.
For most folks, without a reason why.
Cry on demand.
How'd you learn to?
Cry on demand.
Why would you want to?
Just close your eyes and think of me.
I take back everything I said.
She can't hurt me, and I can't hurt you.
It's like were already dead.
Cry on demand.
Why would you want to?
Cry on demand.
Teach me if you want to.
Though you don't have to.
I just close my eyes and think of you.
And we come to the scene where I'm holding you close.
She moves, moves like a thin dulling blade
Cuts, all the words that I said.
The only difference is,
The only difference is,
The truth,
The truth is I miss you.
Cry on demand.
How'd you learn to?
Cry on demand.
Teach me if you want to.
Though you don't have to.
I just close my eyes and think of you.
Real. Real like a plastic bouquet.
That thrives on the smoke from an old fireplace.
And dies every night with her face on the news.
Nobody cries, they just smoke and stare and their shoes.
The only difference is,
The only difference is,
Nobody can cry,
It's hard to do.
For most folks, without a reason why.
Cry on demand.
How'd you learn to?
Cry on demand.
Why would you want to?
Just close your eyes and think of me.
I take back everything I said.
She can't hurt me, and I can't hurt you.
It's like were already dead.
Cry on demand.
Why would you want to?
Cry on demand.
Teach me if you want to.
Though you don't have to.
I just close my eyes and think of you.
Lyrics submitted by DownWithLove, edited by iangurteen
Cry on Demand Lyrics as written by Ryan Adams
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this is one of the best songs on demolition, if not the best. great music. great lyrics. great.
So, it's how the story goes. And we come to the scene where I'm holding you close. She moves, moves like a thin dulling blade Cuts, all the words that I said...
Real. Real like a plastic bouquet. That thrives on the smoke from an old fireplace. And dies every night with her face on the news. Nobody cries, they just smoke and stare and their shoes.
the parts that touch me the most--depressing--wonderful.
Beauty...Pure and utter beauty.
a song that only ryan adams could sing like this. his voice is perfect for the depressing lyrics. i think it's about a bad break up perhaps...hmm i'm not very good at this.
The line that sticks out in my mind is: "She can't hurt me, I can't hurt you, it's like we're already dead". Two people who don't know how to feel about each other, and if they do, are they pretending to, or pretending not to.
"Cry on Demand" expresses this confusion, not communicating honestly with the emotions you choose to (and choose not to) show.
"And she dies every night with her face on the news. Nobody cries, they just smoke and stare and their shoes"
I think Ryan's inspiration for this song, like most off of Demolition, was his girlfriend, Carrie Hamilton, who died of cancer in 2002. When she died, it was on the news and that is where the above quoted lyric comes from, she died everytime he saw it on the news, but nobody else watching the news cried. The rest of the song I think is just about her ability to act and literally cry on demand.
rr thats so sad i never knew about that, and yeah the lyrics fit reallly well with that. i think there is alot of hurt emotions coming through in this song. The start does make it souds a bit like a break up, but i supopse his experience of love would be from his girlfriend so thats where the middle bit explains his emotion. hmmm if that makes sense?!
I really cannot understand why there are not more comments on this song. It is beautiful and heart wrenching (go figure) and one of his best songs.
This was the song that made me a RA fan. Shame he's only done it live but a few times.
I think the line "And we come to the scene where I'm holding you close"
is actually: "Can we cut to the scene where I'm holding you close?"
Beautiful song, gets me every time.