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.
Rosemary
Heaven restores you in life
You're coming with me
Through the aging, the fearing, the strife
It's the smiling on the package
It's the faces in the sand
It's the thought that moves you upwards
Embracing me with two hands
Right will take you places
Yeah, maybe to the beach
When your friends they do come crying
Tell 'em now your pleasure's set upon slow release
Hey, wait
Great smile
Sensitive to fate, not denial
But hey, whose on trial?
It took a lifespan with no cellmate
The long way back
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
We speaks about travel
Yeah, we think about the land
We smart like all peoples
Feeling real tan
I could take you places
Do you need a new man?
Wipe the pollen from the faces
Make revision to a dream while you wait in the van
Hey, wait
Great smile
Sensitive to fate, not denial
But hey whose on trial?
It took a lifespan with no cellmate
By the long way back
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
You're weightless, you are exotic
You need something for which to care
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
Leave some shards under the belly
Lay some grease inside my hand
It's a sentimental jury
And the makings of a good plan
You've come to love me lightly
Yeah, you've come to hold me tight
Is this motion everlasting
Or do shudders pass in the night?
Rosemary
Oh, heaven restores you in life
I spent a lifespan with no cellmate
The long way back
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
You're weightless, semi-erotic
You need someone to take you there
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
Why can't we just play the other game?
Why can't we just look the other way?
Heaven restores you in life
You're coming with me
Through the aging, the fearing, the strife
It's the smiling on the package
It's the faces in the sand
It's the thought that moves you upwards
Embracing me with two hands
Right will take you places
Yeah, maybe to the beach
When your friends they do come crying
Tell 'em now your pleasure's set upon slow release
Hey, wait
Great smile
Sensitive to fate, not denial
But hey, whose on trial?
It took a lifespan with no cellmate
The long way back
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
We speaks about travel
Yeah, we think about the land
We smart like all peoples
Feeling real tan
I could take you places
Do you need a new man?
Wipe the pollen from the faces
Make revision to a dream while you wait in the van
Hey, wait
Great smile
Sensitive to fate, not denial
But hey whose on trial?
It took a lifespan with no cellmate
By the long way back
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
You're weightless, you are exotic
You need something for which to care
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
Leave some shards under the belly
Lay some grease inside my hand
It's a sentimental jury
And the makings of a good plan
You've come to love me lightly
Yeah, you've come to hold me tight
Is this motion everlasting
Or do shudders pass in the night?
Rosemary
Oh, heaven restores you in life
I spent a lifespan with no cellmate
The long way back
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
You're weightless, semi-erotic
You need someone to take you there
Sandy, why can't we look the other way?
Why can't we just play the other game?
Why can't we just look the other way?
Lyrics submitted by jasonlund, edited by xtreme2252, hybrid_rainbow, fildawg, 7dogguy, shyzerDOTcom
Evil Lyrics as written by Daniel Kessler Carlos Dengler
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
to me, it seems like two things in this song jump out at me....the setting of the beach (Feeling real tan, Yea maybe to the beach, The faces in the sand) and the instance of the "trial". i think its a song about something that happened on the beach, and how he was set up to look like he did it: (Leave some shards under the belly, Lay some grease inside my hand) and about the trial (It's a sentimental jury, It took a life span with no cellmate , But, hey, who's on trial?) and how she could have testified against him and now she's "evil": (tell them how your pleasures set up on slow release). maybe, i don't know, just trying to piece another thing together.
I think its kinda self explanitory if u watch the music video he killed someone in a car crash and now hes on trial and ends up with a lifespan charge with no cellmate