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.
At first it seems like a bad dream and you can't claw your way out.
And the plea that you make so you could escape
isn't answered but you'll figure it out.
And all of the nightmares you based your life all around are now coming true.
And it's love or it's need, your response to greed.
Find a reason, count yourself out.
And in bed where you lay or you'll drink it away.
Anyway, to just draw this thing out.
And that's just the trouble with long term goals and dreams.
They're always being revised.
But my sister still cuts her arms and my brother's still at the garage.
And we've given all that we can mom and it's either sink or swim.
And it's high time everyone else stopped paddling for them.
And it's a song, a song for the tired ones,
a song for the sick ones, a song for you.
And it's a song, a song for the scared ones,
the scared of this life ones, just like me and you.
And if the call, the call to the fight, comes.
Just call and I might run, right back to you.
'Cause I remember, yeah and I measure.
I measure them all.
All against you.
That's right
All against you.
And the plea that you make so you could escape
isn't answered but you'll figure it out.
And all of the nightmares you based your life all around are now coming true.
And it's love or it's need, your response to greed.
Find a reason, count yourself out.
And in bed where you lay or you'll drink it away.
Anyway, to just draw this thing out.
And that's just the trouble with long term goals and dreams.
They're always being revised.
But my sister still cuts her arms and my brother's still at the garage.
And we've given all that we can mom and it's either sink or swim.
And it's high time everyone else stopped paddling for them.
And it's a song, a song for the tired ones,
a song for the sick ones, a song for you.
And it's a song, a song for the scared ones,
the scared of this life ones, just like me and you.
And if the call, the call to the fight, comes.
Just call and I might run, right back to you.
'Cause I remember, yeah and I measure.
I measure them all.
All against you.
That's right
All against you.
Lyrics submitted by EroticLibrary
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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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the last few lines make this song for me. measuring relationships against someone. you can't compare something without a benchmark, and he calls that out at the end of the song. and with the melody of the song... it makes the album for me.