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.
This can't be.
It hurts too much to breathe.
It surpasses anything that I could ever dream (this nightmare).
Wishing it were, a dream, a nightmare,
An intangible mind,
An altered reality from which to awake,
But the pinches hurt too much,
And the bodies are cold to the touch.
This can't be, but it is.
Every song that is sung,
Every chord that is played contains a fraction of you within it.
I would give anything for one last something;
The sound of your laugh, a smile, a hug,
A shared moment belonging to just the two of us.
Even Judas got one last kiss.
It surpasses anything that I could ever dream,
This nightmare, this terror,
This reaching, grasping, wishing.
For these hands that will never again be touched,
These arms that will never again be held,
These dreams that will never watch unfold,
And all that's left are the nooses that we tied with the times we never took.
This pain is more than anything I could have ever imagined.
This can't be, but it is.
And I just wish you could know...
All these things that I never found the ways to say,
These words that still choke me every day,
All the ways that you made me everything I am,
All the ways that you are still everything I could ever hope to have,
And everything that I could ever hope to be.
And after everything...
All of these sleepless nights,
These millions of words, thoughts, and tears,
Still more than anything...I love you.
And I miss you.
I will never forget any of what you gave us in the time that you were here.
It hurts too much to breathe.
It surpasses anything that I could ever dream (this nightmare).
Wishing it were, a dream, a nightmare,
An intangible mind,
An altered reality from which to awake,
But the pinches hurt too much,
And the bodies are cold to the touch.
This can't be, but it is.
Every song that is sung,
Every chord that is played contains a fraction of you within it.
I would give anything for one last something;
The sound of your laugh, a smile, a hug,
A shared moment belonging to just the two of us.
Even Judas got one last kiss.
It surpasses anything that I could ever dream,
This nightmare, this terror,
This reaching, grasping, wishing.
For these hands that will never again be touched,
These arms that will never again be held,
These dreams that will never watch unfold,
And all that's left are the nooses that we tied with the times we never took.
This pain is more than anything I could have ever imagined.
This can't be, but it is.
And I just wish you could know...
All these things that I never found the ways to say,
These words that still choke me every day,
All the ways that you made me everything I am,
All the ways that you are still everything I could ever hope to have,
And everything that I could ever hope to be.
And after everything...
All of these sleepless nights,
These millions of words, thoughts, and tears,
Still more than anything...I love you.
And I miss you.
I will never forget any of what you gave us in the time that you were here.
Lyrics submitted by a scar in the sky
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