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.
broken reality there's no means of escape
broken reality lookin' to leave this mind-state
but the more that I leaave the harder it is to come
back
now I'm livin' out these lies that I call my trap
and I call it that cuz I didn't do this intentionally
what I now call my trap I used to call my fantasy
and why do I fantasize in order to leave the reality
of not being able to relate personally or socially
sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to be
respected
but until then I'll dream about bein' accepted
I wonder what it would feel like to be respected
chorus:
all wrong no right no one no sun no light this life
this fight I'll hide inside no matter where you go you
can't escape what's inside
man somebody get me out of this place
of lonliness hopelessness depression and disgrace
at this pace I'm on the verge of self-destruction
with nothin' to go on but my self instruction
so what then does that leave me
I try to communicate with the world, but none of you
out there could perceive me
so instead of words I began to express through action
so anger n' rage became my mere satisfaction hate
fills my being I'm seeing no means of release
so I escape into my fantasy where I live in peace
here I can be anybody I want to here I can be anybody
I choose to
here in this place I feel good there's no restriction
this place is so good that it's become my addiction
I say I'm not lost but why am I searchin
I say pain don't fade me but then again why am I
hurtin'
I say I won't show emotion but yet
I can't hide these eyes that have been stained by
tears
I say I can't be held back but yet I've been in the
same place for years
I say I wanna feel free but somethin' keeps me bound
I say I wanna go higher but my feet haven't even left
the ground
man I told ya'll I didn't care but then again why is
my heart heavy
I told the world to bring it on but deep down I knew I
wasn't ready
I said I couldn't be deceived meanwhile I'm walking
into the same old traps
I said I couldn't be broke as I watched my world
collapse
as I watch my world collapse
watch my world collapse
chorus:
No matter where you go you can't escape what's inside
no matter where you go you can't escape what's inside
no matter where you go you can't escape what's inside
no matter where I go
broken reality lookin' to leave this mind-state
but the more that I leaave the harder it is to come
back
now I'm livin' out these lies that I call my trap
and I call it that cuz I didn't do this intentionally
what I now call my trap I used to call my fantasy
and why do I fantasize in order to leave the reality
of not being able to relate personally or socially
sometimes I wonder what it would feel like to be
respected
but until then I'll dream about bein' accepted
I wonder what it would feel like to be respected
chorus:
all wrong no right no one no sun no light this life
this fight I'll hide inside no matter where you go you
can't escape what's inside
man somebody get me out of this place
of lonliness hopelessness depression and disgrace
at this pace I'm on the verge of self-destruction
with nothin' to go on but my self instruction
so what then does that leave me
I try to communicate with the world, but none of you
out there could perceive me
so instead of words I began to express through action
so anger n' rage became my mere satisfaction hate
fills my being I'm seeing no means of release
so I escape into my fantasy where I live in peace
here I can be anybody I want to here I can be anybody
I choose to
here in this place I feel good there's no restriction
this place is so good that it's become my addiction
I say I'm not lost but why am I searchin
I say pain don't fade me but then again why am I
hurtin'
I say I won't show emotion but yet
I can't hide these eyes that have been stained by
tears
I say I can't be held back but yet I've been in the
same place for years
I say I wanna feel free but somethin' keeps me bound
I say I wanna go higher but my feet haven't even left
the ground
man I told ya'll I didn't care but then again why is
my heart heavy
I told the world to bring it on but deep down I knew I
wasn't ready
I said I couldn't be deceived meanwhile I'm walking
into the same old traps
I said I couldn't be broke as I watched my world
collapse
as I watch my world collapse
watch my world collapse
chorus:
No matter where you go you can't escape what's inside
no matter where you go you can't escape what's inside
no matter where you go you can't escape what's inside
no matter where I go
Lyrics submitted by PhantasmP
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These lyrics are incredulously wrong...
This song is about how he (john, or whoever) deals with life, how he looks at it. And how whatever lies you tell yourself, no matter how much you want to believe them, you can't escape what's inside, what the truth is.