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.
(Obsolete, obsolete, we're so obsolete...)
Sleep soundly in silence
Knowing that we will never return
To what we once were
What was now is a distant memory
I guess that I should thank you
For freeing me from my naivete
Sleep softly knowing that we are through
The spotlight has turned its favor from us
And now it's upon you
You were so right to write me off
We took to heart everything that you said
And now I agree, we're better off dead
This is the sound that drives you to deny
These are the words that remind you we're alive
This is the voice that haunts you in your sleep
Outdated, forgotten, we're yesterday's obsolete
Yesterday's model, and oh, so expendable
Is it comforting to know we're so temporary? Temporary
Yesterday, obsolete
We're so obsolete
Yesterday's model, and oh, so expendable
You were so right to write me off
This is the sound
These are the words
This is the voice
When you're just a memory I'll be there
To remind you of what you said
As ash to ash so you will return
"You once made such noise, but now so obsolete."
Sleep soundly in silence
Knowing that we will never return
To what we once were
What was now is a distant memory
I guess that I should thank you
For freeing me from my naivete
Sleep softly knowing that we are through
The spotlight has turned its favor from us
And now it's upon you
You were so right to write me off
We took to heart everything that you said
And now I agree, we're better off dead
This is the sound that drives you to deny
These are the words that remind you we're alive
This is the voice that haunts you in your sleep
Outdated, forgotten, we're yesterday's obsolete
Yesterday's model, and oh, so expendable
Is it comforting to know we're so temporary? Temporary
Yesterday, obsolete
We're so obsolete
Yesterday's model, and oh, so expendable
You were so right to write me off
This is the sound
These are the words
This is the voice
When you're just a memory I'll be there
To remind you of what you said
As ash to ash so you will return
"You once made such noise, but now so obsolete."
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Why is this song called "Breakdown in 3/4" when it is clearly in 6/8?
i think this song is about leaving the bad things that happened in the past where they belong: in the past. it could also about how pop icons/stars rise and fall so quickly and how that kind of fame isnt' worth it.
i just got back from camp with my youth group and a lot of the message was just about like how we get caught up in the lies of satan and we cant breakfree until we realize that with jesus all things are possible and that we were fearfully and wonderfully made in his image...anyways what i find kind of dissapointing and depressing about this song is that the leave that hopeful message out of it....
thisappartus69: 3/4 is half of 6/8, mind you, so it's like an upbeat waltz
Another look at this song and you can see it can be interpreted as the ultimate breakup song.
"When you're just a memory I'll be there to remind you of what you said"
When this song was written, P86 was dealing with being dropped from Atlantic records, I think it was. In any case they had just been dropped from a record company because they were viewed as one of the weaker band signed to the company.
If you go through the whole song and look at it as being directed at the owners of the record company in a satirical way, it all makes perfect sense. From the beginning...
"Sleep soundly in silence knowing that we will never return to what we once were. What was now is a distant memory. We took to heart everything that you said."
P86 was changed by their run in with a big record company. Their sound changed drastically from DBL to TH. This is a double entendre. This whole album is different from DBL yet is different from TH as well. They are not really doing what the company said, yet they are in the fact that they changed.
"Sleep softly knowing that we are through. The spotlight has turned it's favor from us and now it's upon you."
This could be directed at a new band on record company, but it is still speaking to the owners. It is just showing how quickly the "spotlight" or favor of the owners can change.
"This is the sound that drives you to deny. These are the words that remind you we're alive. This is the voice that haunts you in your sleep. Outdated. Forgotten. We're yesterday's obsolete."
This says exactly what it sounds like. The record company is going to regret dropping P86 because their sound is amazing now. It's satire. They aren't really obsolete. They are just repeating what they were told when they got dropped, "You're no good." They're saying, "If we're so obsolete why do people still love our songs."
The rest of the song goes along with the obsolete idea, so I won't go into that.
This is just my opinion of the song, so if you don't agree, that's fine. Don't think that I'm trying to force this upon you.
Before I learned about the background for the album, I thought this song was all about the frailty of human life, and how we be gone in a blink of an eye.
I can't believe that they were tossed out like yesterday's jam!
such a good P86 song. AMAZING album.