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.
Fill up your mind with all it can know
Don't forget that your body will let it all go
Fill up your mind with all it can know
What would we be without wishful thinking
Chambers of chains
With red plastic mouths
The inside of outside
No one has found
How to unring the bell
It's just as well
The turntable sizzles
Casting the spells
The pressure devices
Hell in a nutshell
Is any song worth singing
If it doesn't help
Fill up your mind with all it can know
Don't forget that your body can let it all go
Fill up your mind with all it can know
'Cause what would love be without wishful thinking
Open your arms as far as they will go
We take off your dress
An embarrassing poem
Was written when I was alone
In love with you
I shook down those lines
To shine up the streets
I got up off my hands and knees
To thank my lucky stars that you're not me
What would we be without wishful thinking
What would we be without wishful thinking
What would we be without wishful thinking
Don't forget that your body will let it all go
Fill up your mind with all it can know
What would we be without wishful thinking
Chambers of chains
With red plastic mouths
The inside of outside
No one has found
How to unring the bell
It's just as well
The turntable sizzles
Casting the spells
The pressure devices
Hell in a nutshell
Is any song worth singing
If it doesn't help
Fill up your mind with all it can know
Don't forget that your body can let it all go
Fill up your mind with all it can know
'Cause what would love be without wishful thinking
Open your arms as far as they will go
We take off your dress
An embarrassing poem
Was written when I was alone
In love with you
I shook down those lines
To shine up the streets
I got up off my hands and knees
To thank my lucky stars that you're not me
What would we be without wishful thinking
What would we be without wishful thinking
What would we be without wishful thinking
Lyrics submitted by eastcidskl
Wishful Thinking Lyrics as written by Jeffrey Scot Tweedy Glenn Kotche
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Unison Rights S.L.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think I understand a little of this song, but I have some questions.
"Fill up your mind with all it can know Don't forget that your body will let it all go Fill up your mind with all it can know What would we be without wishful thinking"
This part is about dreaming/wishful thinking about this person. He fills up his mind with ideas of how they could be together, situations if you will. It could be something as simple as sitting at a picnic or having sex. He doesn't specify.
The he says
"Chambers of chains With red plastic mouths The inside of outside No one has found How to unring the bell It's just as well"
This must be something to do with how he cannot follow through on what he wishfully thinking about. I wish someone would explain the exact meaning of these lyrics so I can understand this part.
Then,
"The turntable sizzles Casting the spells The pressure devices Hell in a nutshell Is any song worth singing If it doesn't help"
This is about how he wants to get rid of his troubled head's thoughts. So he plays music on "pressure devices" (guitar, piano) but it only makes it worse as his line "hell in a nutshell". He only thinks about it more now. He says no song is worth singing because he is unreasonably miserable about the whole thing.
"Open your arms as far as they will go We take off your dress An embarrassing poem Was written when I was alone In love with you"
This I have actually done. So it hits home pretty hard. Writing poems when lonely is one of my releases. However, I am not quite so sure this is literally a poem. He might still be thinking. He might be daydreaming of undressing her, literally or figuratively (getting to know her).
"I shook down those lines To shine up the streets I got up off my hands and knees To thank my lucky stars that you're not me"
I think he is re-reading his poem, or recounting his head memory. He finally thanks the stars that the person he is dreaming of doesn't have to deal with what he has to deal with. He knows the world would be nothing without wishful thinking because it is what drives everything we do. Even if it is as small as talking to someone in real life or as meaningful as being with someone in a day dream they don't know about.
I don't claim to know if this is all right, I just thought I would put in my two cents. Feel free to correct me if you think I am mistaken.