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.
The flowers by your bed are wilting.
The sun is setting in the west.
A fog is covering your eyes,
Your stockings are attracting flies,
Decay is nibbling at the boards on which you rest.
There's someone waiting at your window,
Familiar face without a name.
One night he'll creep in like the mist,
To touch your forehead with a kiss,
And lead you back into the void from whence you came.
We've all begun to die, and don't know what to do.
Since it hurts to pray to God, when God is dying too.
Takes strength to laugh, when you start to drown.
And we dance while the sky crashes down.
Like that the earth begins to quiver,
And all the oceans turn to black.
A ship of maniacs with knives,
Are playing Blackjack with their lives,
To kill the time until the giant rats attack.
It's raining leprosy and acid.
The saints were taken out and shot.
When someone proffers you a pear,
You sink your teeth in unaware,
That just beneath the skin lies pestilence and rot.
All that now breathes, and all that you love,
All that we weave, will find its way back to the dust.
A band of skeletons is playing,
Don't act like you don't know the tune.
Your part is echoed in the path,
Of every dead leaf blowing past,
Against a counterpoint reflected off the moon.
There is a banquet at the table,
Exotic cheeses wines and cakes.
And every one of us is damned,
Until we start to understand,
That living is to gorge ourselves at our own wakes.
When the stakes are high, best to play the clown.
And we dance while the sky crashes down.
The sun is setting in the west.
A fog is covering your eyes,
Your stockings are attracting flies,
Decay is nibbling at the boards on which you rest.
There's someone waiting at your window,
Familiar face without a name.
One night he'll creep in like the mist,
To touch your forehead with a kiss,
And lead you back into the void from whence you came.
We've all begun to die, and don't know what to do.
Since it hurts to pray to God, when God is dying too.
Takes strength to laugh, when you start to drown.
And we dance while the sky crashes down.
Like that the earth begins to quiver,
And all the oceans turn to black.
A ship of maniacs with knives,
Are playing Blackjack with their lives,
To kill the time until the giant rats attack.
It's raining leprosy and acid.
The saints were taken out and shot.
When someone proffers you a pear,
You sink your teeth in unaware,
That just beneath the skin lies pestilence and rot.
All that now breathes, and all that you love,
All that we weave, will find its way back to the dust.
A band of skeletons is playing,
Don't act like you don't know the tune.
Your part is echoed in the path,
Of every dead leaf blowing past,
Against a counterpoint reflected off the moon.
There is a banquet at the table,
Exotic cheeses wines and cakes.
And every one of us is damned,
Until we start to understand,
That living is to gorge ourselves at our own wakes.
When the stakes are high, best to play the clown.
And we dance while the sky crashes down.
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This is a happy little song about death. Plain and simple. The familiar face without a name is probably Death or the Grim Reaper. I wish more people would talk about Webley's songs. Gee whiz.
That is true, infact when I saw him live he said something to the effect of "This is the happiest song I have ever written......about death." fantastic song.
this is a great song but not well known and it has some clear refrances to armigedon (not the movie)
clearly death..........
I've seen this guy play live at Red Square at the University of Washington. He's a weird guy and an excellent musician. This song reminds me of Beetlejuice and alcohol and an old, broken down house with moldy, rotten furniture, and pirates, and oddly wise childlike images of Halloween. Of course it's about death.
it is a victory of life!!!
Definitely is about the Zelda game, Majora's Mask.
A face at the window? The moon. People partying? The Clock Town celebration. I mean, come on.
One of the most amazing songs I've heard. The talent in the writing is not too far from a complex poem and it has so much meaning within . Of course is about death but with a touch of beauty, horror and decadence .
I just effin love him.
sounds like it's about an apocolypse. it's raining leprosy and acid? death and the apocolypse put in a very very beautiful way though Love it
The world is ending as there's nothing anyone can do about it. No one knows what to do except to just have fun for a few moments and 'dance while the sky crashes down'.
Well that's what I get from it anyway.