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.
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you
That I might reach
Straight for your throat
This is madness
Will we not be satisfied
Until we sit drenched in each other's blood?
The shame of only two appalling options:
A taker of life, or a dead man
This is why the wives, the mothers, and children are mourning
Love, as vital to life
As blood to heart
Conquers pain
Lest death intrudes by means of its
Flawed emissary, man
On this day, saints will be sinners
There will be no victors, only bereaved
This is why we mourn
Leaving the world blind, eye after eye
Disease inhabits the environs
Famine feeds our gardens
Flesh is predisposed to die
Death needs no aide
We bear blood to where we rest
And still we are not sleepless
And we will live such tragedy in perpetuity
Her loved one is dead
His loved one is dead
My loved one is dead
Your loved one is dead
This is a tragedy
Take my arms that I might reach you
That I might reach
Straight for your throat
This is madness
Will we not be satisfied
Until we sit drenched in each other's blood?
The shame of only two appalling options:
A taker of life, or a dead man
This is why the wives, the mothers, and children are mourning
Love, as vital to life
As blood to heart
Conquers pain
Lest death intrudes by means of its
Flawed emissary, man
On this day, saints will be sinners
There will be no victors, only bereaved
This is why we mourn
Leaving the world blind, eye after eye
Disease inhabits the environs
Famine feeds our gardens
Flesh is predisposed to die
Death needs no aide
We bear blood to where we rest
And still we are not sleepless
And we will live such tragedy in perpetuity
Her loved one is dead
His loved one is dead
My loved one is dead
Your loved one is dead
This is a tragedy
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by poolhallXjunkie
Ending the Perpetual Tragedy Lyrics as written by Matthew Fletcher Geert Van Der Velde
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
the missing part
the stillness of a corpse is unnerving, it is the physical form of death, the air is cold, and im sure someone somewhere is laughing. i am colder than the air, my heart is deeper than an ocean, it's pain is focused, a focus as brutal of the stillness of a corpse, on this day let them all be unnerved as the blood of the dead mixes with the blood of the gouging of my eyes, the truest tragedy complete and in perpetuity, as this is the world of imbisiles who thirst for blood, blind as bats. There are no more lessons to be learned, man unlearns wisdom as swiftly as it digs it's own grave, if you must dig, let it dig for itself,i will bury the corpses of those that would bury mine, withdowned by the loved, let the blood of my own eyes mixes with the blood of mankind, it will cleanse the world, the scorth is jet blood, it will cleanse the world this is a tragedy when a loved one is dead
i will bury the corpses
of those that would bury mine
this is a tragedy.
It will clense the world It will clense the world
THIS IS A TRAGEDY
our hearts mourn
This scorched, jet blood; it will cleanse the world.
I also love the kudos to Hearts Once Nourished at the end of this song...if these hands would only kill.
Simon & Garfunkel? (first two lines)
"A taker of life, of a dead man." that line is "The takers of life or dead men" Basically saying the only options we have left is to kill everyone or kill ourselves because we're so messed up.
Such a powerful ending to the anthem album of our dying world.