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.
All my tears will dry away
All my tears will dry away
All my tears will dry away
Words don't bother me no more
Black money falling to the floor
Flags out on the balconies
Black money washing to the seas
Oh my mind
What happened to the time
December
All my house got blown away
All my house got blown away
All my house got blown away
Walls of glass and walls of stone
Got blown away
Stations in the neon light
Your body strange as dynamite
Killers underneath our skins
Black mirrors black hyacinths
Oh my eyes
What happened to the skies
December
December
December
All my tears will dry away
All my tears will dry away
Words don't bother me no more
Black money falling to the floor
Flags out on the balconies
Black money washing to the seas
Oh my mind
What happened to the time
December
All my house got blown away
All my house got blown away
All my house got blown away
Walls of glass and walls of stone
Got blown away
Stations in the neon light
Your body strange as dynamite
Killers underneath our skins
Black mirrors black hyacinths
Oh my eyes
What happened to the skies
December
December
December
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Light Up The Sky
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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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
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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.
Punchline
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Like '#41', this song is meaningless on the surface but clearly conceals something profound. All I can think of is to do a point-by-point (much of which is obvious): "All my tears will dry away": this unhappiness will be over "Words don't bother me no more" "Black money" suggests ill-gotten gains to me, and "falling to the floor" release thereof. "Flags out on the balcony" probably symbolizes something in reality. "Oh my mind/ What happened to the time": what has changed?
"All my house got blown away": Something bad. "Stations in the neon light": ? "Your body strange as dynamite": Powerful, inexplicable effects of sexuality. "Killers underneath our skins": The 'inner beast'? "Black mirrors, black hyacinths": Powerful imagery, but ? "Oh my eyes/ What happened to the skies": As above.
Having gone through it like this, it actually doesn't sound like any other David Gray song I know of.
i love this song...makes me cry everytime. "Oh my mind What happened To the time?"
To me it's about dealing with his fathers cancer. Almost like "A Long December" by Counting Crows he's spending tons of time in hospitals. He's hugely popular now because of 'Babylon' but all that greatness is drowned out by this sadness. He's seeing his riches falling to the floor, meaningless now that his father can't share it with him.
"Oh my mind, what happened, to the time?" is something we all know very well. He's thinking about all the time that seems wasted now, and how he wishes he would've spent it better with his father.
At first I thought the second verse was sort of sexual, but then I thought of the mystery that is cancer. His body is destructive to itself, slowly eating itself. Thus the reference to dynamite and "killers underneath our skin"
Everything is dark to him now that his father is dead. The flowers are black and even the mirrors seem blackened. Nothing shines, not even the skies.
I adore this song. I don't think i can really comprehend it. But wow. It's just wow.