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.
Her letters gave me purpose,
Her letters gave me pride
Armies far across the ocean
Guns and letters by our side
It was someone else's homeland
It was someone else's war
But at the line of the 38th parallel
It was her I fought them for
Her victory garden grew from weeds and from stone
I smelled those flowers in my sleep
The day I left as we were standing alone
She swore to me those dreams would keep
And the bells of St. James were ringing
The bells of St. James were ringing down
Lifting the eyes of those homeward bound
I don't remember when those words changed
Like Kansas summer turns to fall
But she quit talking 'bout the future
Never mentioned dreams at all
I don't blame my enemies and I don't blame my wife
For love fires that fleeted long ago
But when she wrote me about this change in her life
There was just one thing I had to know
And the bells of St. James were ringing
The bells of St. James were ringing down
Lifting the eyes of those homeward bound
Her letters gave me pride
Armies far across the ocean
Guns and letters by our side
It was someone else's homeland
It was someone else's war
But at the line of the 38th parallel
It was her I fought them for
Her victory garden grew from weeds and from stone
I smelled those flowers in my sleep
The day I left as we were standing alone
She swore to me those dreams would keep
And the bells of St. James were ringing
The bells of St. James were ringing down
Lifting the eyes of those homeward bound
I don't remember when those words changed
Like Kansas summer turns to fall
But she quit talking 'bout the future
Never mentioned dreams at all
I don't blame my enemies and I don't blame my wife
For love fires that fleeted long ago
But when she wrote me about this change in her life
There was just one thing I had to know
And the bells of St. James were ringing
The bells of St. James were ringing down
Lifting the eyes of those homeward bound
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
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.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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Hayalperest
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
The general scenario is clear: a guy is off to a foreign land to fight a war and gets his strength from the letters his wife back home writes to him. With time, the content of her letters to him changes not mentioning her dreams about their future anymore.
So the meaning really boils down to what that change in her life was. The first thing that comes to mind is that she has met someone else she has engaged with.
Contrary to what the lyrics in the booklet say, what they're actually singing after "There was just one thing I had to know" is "Are the Bella if St. James still ringing?". So maybe he is appealing to her to think back to their wedding day with those memorable bells of St. James ringing and cling to that vow of the past despite the love fires having fleeted long ago.
I choose to believe that she did the right thing and that their marriage has endured the hardships of life because that chorus is so uplifting (not only the eyes of those homeward bound (o;).