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.
Well, I had the carburetor, baby, cleaned and checked
With her line blown out she's hummin' like a turbojet
Propped her up in the backyard on concrete blocks
For a new clutch plate and a new set of shocks
Took her down to the carwash, check the plugs and points
Well, I'm goin' out tonight, I'm gonna rock that joint
Early north Jersey industrial skyline
I'm a all-set cobra jet creepin' through the nighttime
Gotta find a gas station, gotta find a pay phone
This turnpike sure is spooky at night when you're all alone
Gotta hit the gas, baby, I'm running late
This New Jersey in the mornin' like a lunar landscape
Now the boss don't dig me, so he put me on the night shift
It takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives
In the wee wee hours your mind gets hazy
Radio relays towers, won't you lead me to my baby?
Underneath the overpass, trooper hits his party light switch
Good night, good luck, one, two power shift
I met Wanda when she was employed
Behind the counter at the Route 60 Bob's Big Boy
Fried chicken on the front seat, she's sitting in my lap
We're wiping our fingers on a Texaco road map
I remember Wanda up on scrap metal hill
With them big brown eyes that make your heart stand still
Woo-hoo, woo!
Ha!
C'mon now, hey
Well at five A.M. oil pressure's sinking fast
I make a pit stop, wipe the windshield, check the gas
Gotta call my baby on the telephone
Let her know that her daddy's coming on home
Sit tight, little mama, I'm a-coming 'round
I got a-three more hours but I'm covering ground
Your eyes get itchy in the wee wee hours
Sun's just a red ball rising over them refinery towers
Radio's jammed up with gospel stations
Lost souls calling long distance salvation
Hey mister deejay won't you hear my last prayer?
Hey ho rock 'n roll deliver me from nowhere
Hey da da di da, di da da
Oh hey da da di da, di da da
Oh hey da da di da, di da da
Oh hey da da
With her line blown out she's hummin' like a turbojet
Propped her up in the backyard on concrete blocks
For a new clutch plate and a new set of shocks
Took her down to the carwash, check the plugs and points
Well, I'm goin' out tonight, I'm gonna rock that joint
Early north Jersey industrial skyline
I'm a all-set cobra jet creepin' through the nighttime
Gotta find a gas station, gotta find a pay phone
This turnpike sure is spooky at night when you're all alone
Gotta hit the gas, baby, I'm running late
This New Jersey in the mornin' like a lunar landscape
Now the boss don't dig me, so he put me on the night shift
It takes me two hours to get back to where my baby lives
In the wee wee hours your mind gets hazy
Radio relays towers, won't you lead me to my baby?
Underneath the overpass, trooper hits his party light switch
Good night, good luck, one, two power shift
I met Wanda when she was employed
Behind the counter at the Route 60 Bob's Big Boy
Fried chicken on the front seat, she's sitting in my lap
We're wiping our fingers on a Texaco road map
I remember Wanda up on scrap metal hill
With them big brown eyes that make your heart stand still
Woo-hoo, woo!
Ha!
C'mon now, hey
Well at five A.M. oil pressure's sinking fast
I make a pit stop, wipe the windshield, check the gas
Gotta call my baby on the telephone
Let her know that her daddy's coming on home
Sit tight, little mama, I'm a-coming 'round
I got a-three more hours but I'm covering ground
Your eyes get itchy in the wee wee hours
Sun's just a red ball rising over them refinery towers
Radio's jammed up with gospel stations
Lost souls calling long distance salvation
Hey mister deejay won't you hear my last prayer?
Hey ho rock 'n roll deliver me from nowhere
Hey da da di da, di da da
Oh hey da da di da, di da da
Oh hey da da di da, di da da
Oh hey da da
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
This is sort of the opposite of all the other downbeat loners in the night Springsteen writes about- it has a sense of giddiness that comes with being sleep-deprived and amped up on something or other and motivated to get away from the cruddy job and back to his baby for the weekend.
It's almost funny though how dated the song is- carburetors, pay phones and road maps... practically all the answers to trivia questions now.
LOL..."his baby." Is that what one of a long, long line of young, dumb pieces of drunk ass are? WoW. That's deep. Real freedom. Such a big goal and accomplisment. Really defines the person, now doesn't it. Good song.
all ancient history, but that comment makes almost no sense in the context of the song - or my comment. just in case you come back in a year or two.
hey, ho, rock'n'roll, deliver me from nowhere is the best line ever, I get chills just reading it on a computer screen.
I think this song is an odd one on Nebraska and one of the many stand out classics on the album. Out of context its a good ol' dark folk'n'roll drivinbg song, but in context of the album it seems to have much more to it. To me it gives a feeling of a song on the radio while driving down a long road on a dark night, rather than actually hearingit purely as a song from a CD. It seems displaced slightly. Also noteworthy that it is no doubt connected to State Trooper. There are various reasons for this, for a start both are clearly about driving to some goal, most likely both in night time. Another strong connection is the lyrical content. look at these similar lines:
"Your eyes get itchy in the wee wee hours sun's just a red ball risin' over them refinery towers Radio's jammed up with gospel stations lost souls callin' long distance salvation Hey, mister deejay, woncha hear my last prayer hey, ho, rock'n'roll, deliver me from nowhere" (OAN)
"In the wee wee hours your mind gets hazy, radio relay towers lead me to my baby Radio's jammed up with talk show stations It's just talk, talk, talk, talk, till you lose your patience Mister state trooper, please don't stop me
Hey, somebody out there, listen to my last prayer Hiho silver-o, deliver me from nowhere" (ST)
There are some clear similarities as you may see. However, whereas State Trooper is relatively slow and down-beat, Open All Night seems happy and up-beat witha fast pace. I think the idea was that State Trooper is about a depressed man, driving along to a dark end, maybe across the border avoiding the police, maybe to commit suicide, maybe to some other dark means, whereas in Open All Night the main character is moving towards a happy end, namely his girl friend. Springsteen now doubt planned this as the two "opposites" to driving down a road at night, and the possibilities of the world. Or maybe the characters in State Trooper and Open All Night met at some point, maybe just passing eachother by. I would love to see some more comments on this song to see other people's opinions.
Hey, sorry it took 6 years to reply, but I'd a younger Bruce fan and only heard Nebraska a couple years ago. I love it of course, but I didn't think about the connection between all of the songs until I read your post. <br /> <br /> While the locations might not match up, it is interesting to think about the possibility that this poor guy, driving out on this scary turn pike with a failing car to see his girlfriend may run into this dark man from ST. I know this song is set in NJ, but the spree killer from Nebraska would prey upon some one like this. While this might not have been the boss's true thought, I would have to agree that there is more of the reason for OAN and ST sharing lyrics and being so opposite one another than that Bruce ran out of lyrics.
What I always found so amazing about this song was that he managed to take such a cliche classic blues riff and make it sound so different and eerie than any other song featuring it, it truly is a haunting track, especially highlighted by the "deliver me from nowhere" line, gives me chills.
I love this song! I tell ya, drive down a long long road with this blasting outa the speakers and...well, what can I say!?! Pure class!
You can hear the gear changes and acceleration in the song as it rips along.
Driving north out of Lincoln on Highway 77 going back home to South Dakota at 4 in the morning after visiting my girlfriend.. Driving through all the tiny, quiet prairie towns in the middle of the night trying to get back in time for work the next day.. That's what this album's made for. Just perfect.
Nebraska is one of those loved and respected albums but that does not mean is one you will listen to frequently, well at least for me that's how it works, I'll only listen to State Trooper when I'm on the road, I remember once I'd got nightmares for Nebraska and State Trooper the very same night!!!
'Deliver me from nowhere' is one of the best lines ever written in rock music, and of course it'll give you chills, I'm speaking for myself, but this line had already had a true meaning in my life: Bruce´s music had delivered me from nowhere.
I'm a 'new' Bruce's fan also but I heard someone said time ago that the main characters on OAN actually could be the same ones of Nebraska. In OAN they will be having some fun before or even after they comitted the crimes, just another interpretation, but what I really like about Nebraska is that you can actually link the stories and the characters, magnificent idea from Thesmellyone, to connect both OAN and ST characters on the turnpike!!!