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.
1,2,3...
and if I could swim,
I'd swim out to you in the ocean,
swim out to where you were floating,
in the dark,
and if I was blessed,
I'd walk on the water your'e breathin',
to lend you some air for that heavin' sunken chest,
cause they chose you as the model for their empty little dreams,
with your new head and your legs spread like a filthy magazine,
and they hunt you and they gut you and you give in,
and if I was brave,
I'd climb up to you on the mountain,
they led you to drink from their fountain,
spouting lies,
and I'd slay the horrible beast they commissioned,
to steer me away from my mission to your eyes,
and I'd stand there like a soldier with my foot upon his chest,
with my grin spread and my arms out in my bloodstained Sunday's best,
and you'd hold me,
I'd remind you,
who you are, under their shell...
I'd walk through hell for you,
let it burn right through my shoes,
these soles are useless without you,
through hell for you,
let the torturing ensue my soul is useless without you...
and if they send a whirlwind id hug it like a harmless little tree,
or an earthquake,
I'd calm it,
and I'd bring you back to me,
and I'd hold you in my weak arms like a firstborn...
I'd walk through hell for you,
let it burn right through my shoes,
these soles are useless without you,
through hell for you,
let the torturing ensue my soul is useless without you...
Now I'd walk through hell for you.
Whats an adventurer to do but rest these feet at home with you?
and if I could swim,
I'd swim out to you in the ocean,
swim out to where you were floating,
in the dark,
and if I was blessed,
I'd walk on the water your'e breathin',
to lend you some air for that heavin' sunken chest,
cause they chose you as the model for their empty little dreams,
with your new head and your legs spread like a filthy magazine,
and they hunt you and they gut you and you give in,
and if I was brave,
I'd climb up to you on the mountain,
they led you to drink from their fountain,
spouting lies,
and I'd slay the horrible beast they commissioned,
to steer me away from my mission to your eyes,
and I'd stand there like a soldier with my foot upon his chest,
with my grin spread and my arms out in my bloodstained Sunday's best,
and you'd hold me,
I'd remind you,
who you are, under their shell...
I'd walk through hell for you,
let it burn right through my shoes,
these soles are useless without you,
through hell for you,
let the torturing ensue my soul is useless without you...
and if they send a whirlwind id hug it like a harmless little tree,
or an earthquake,
I'd calm it,
and I'd bring you back to me,
and I'd hold you in my weak arms like a firstborn...
I'd walk through hell for you,
let it burn right through my shoes,
these soles are useless without you,
through hell for you,
let the torturing ensue my soul is useless without you...
Now I'd walk through hell for you.
Whats an adventurer to do but rest these feet at home with you?
Lyrics submitted by tjwells, edited by ayla634207, FlyntCoal
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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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Head > Heels
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Such a great song for telling someone you really care about them. Unfortunatly the person I was telling didn't care.
This song to me is about a guy that wants to show a girl her true worth. She keeps getting sucked in by guys that just tell her shit she wants to hear so they can get with her. She always gives in and hopes for the best, but it always ends the same. She doesn't think she's anything special to anyone, not even herself. This guy wants to show her how special she truly is and how he'll treat her right and not take advantage of her like the other guys. In a few words. It's about true love and opening someones eyes that they're more special than they think.
This song is awesome. I haven't heard it for a while, and I just started listening to it again. In my opinion, its about a guy who would do anything for a girl, regardless of what he loses because all he wants is her. He can't live without her, and he is saying he will go through the worst torture imaginable for a human to have her. Great song. Says a lot.
my boyfriend loves this song and he told me it was about the lead singers girlfriend being an alcoholic.
"1,2,3...
and if i could swim, i'd swim out to you in the ocean, swim out to where you were floating, in the dark,"
..the ocean is representing a bottle of alcohol. in the dark.. she's a closet drinker...
"and if I was blessed, id walk on the water you're breathing, to lend you some air for that heavin sunken chest,"
..i'll try my best if i can to help you out water your breathing.. she drinks so much like its water..
"cause they chose you as the model for their empty little dreams, with your new head and your legs spread like a filthy magazine, and they hunt you and they gut you and you give in,"
..she was beautiful, perhaps even a model, her new job started to put thoughts into her head, making her think differently, maybe even doing something she regrets. she can't say no, and goes along with it.
"and if I was brave, id climb up to you on the mountain, they led you to drink from their fountain, spouting lies,"
...I'll help you get through this. drink from the fountains = referring to more drinking / pressure from job spouting lies = all this drinking is causing her to lie more & more..
"and id slay the horrible beast they commissioned, to steer me away from my mission to your eyes,"
..I'll fight until you are entirely only mine. looking in your eyes gives me strength..
"and I'd stand there like a soldier with my foot upon his chest, with my grin spread and my arms out in my bloodstained Sundays best,"
..I wont stop until your mine..
"and you'd hold me, I'd remind you, who you are, under their shelves..."
..I love you, but stop lying..
"I'd walk through hell for you, let it burn right through my shoes, these soles are useless without you, through hell for you, let the torturing ensue my soul is useless without you..."
..I'd do anything for you bc I love you so much. there's no point of living if your not by my side...
"and if they send a whirlwind id hug it like a harmless little tree, or an earthquake, I'd calm it, and I'd bring you back to me, and I'd hold you in my weak arms like a firstborn..."
...throughout anything, I'll be there and protect you'll never get hurt we'll always be together your so precious ...
"Now id walk through hell for you. Whats an adventurer to do but rest these feet at home with you?"
..now that you just put me through hell, all i want to do is spend my life w/ you...
atleast that's what i think the song is about.. i can be wrong
My personal interpretation of the song is that he has experienced love for a girl who has gone to live in a hell-like sort of world. (It seems that she may possibly be a drug user, maybe a model for the centerfold, and have very love self-esteem) He wants to be in her life, and therefore he has to come into that hell in order to make her realize that there's something better out there... That the expectations of the people in her life aren't rational and that she does not have a price tag attached. To make her understand that she is her own person and she can have a great life like anybody should deserve.
and if i could swim i'd swim out to you in the ocean swim out to where you were floating in the dark meaning the SPERM .
and if i was blessed - BAPTISED ?
because they chose you as the model for their empty little dreams- THE MOTHER IS THE MODEL FOR CHILDREN
with your new head and your legs spread - THE MOTHER GIVING BIRTH
i'd climb up to you on the mountain they led you to drink from their fountain spouting lies - BREAST FEEDING . THE MOUNTAIN IS THE BREAST IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT AND THE FOUNTAIN IS THE MILK
well yeh --" that's what ii think LOL
"and if i could swim i'd swim out to you in the ocean swim out to where you were floating in the dark"
"and if i was blessed i'd walk on the water you're breathing to lend you some air for that heaving sunken chest"
"because they chose you as the model for their empty little dreams with your new head and your legs spread like a filthy magazine"
"and they hunt you and they gut you and you give in"
"and if i was brave i'd climb up to you on the mountain they led you to drink from their fountain spouting lies"
"and i'd slay the horrible beast they commissioned to steer me away from my mission to your eyes"
"and i'd stand there like a soldier with my foot upon his chest with my grin spread and my arms out in my bloodstained sunday's best"
"and you'd hold me i'd remind you who you are under their shell"
"i'd walk through hell for you let it burn right through my shoes these soles are useless without you let the torturing ensue my soul is useless without you"
"and if they sent a whirlwind i'd hug it like a harmless little tree or an earthquake i'd calm it and i'd bring you back to me and i'd hold you in my weak arms like a first born"
"now i walked through hell for you what's an adventurer to do but rest these feet at home with you"
This song is almost like a quest. In the end, after coming out victorious against trials, he wins the girl. That's the reason why I think the lyrics have "and if" and "and I'd". Also, 'slay'ing the beast, seems like slaying a drangon to save the damsel etc... the guy is just describing a scenario, which reminds the audience of a tale about a knight doing something noble. It makes it seem more romantic than him saying, "Yeah, ill just ignore what people say about you. I'll tell them to STFU."
I have actually cried a couple of times in the past when I listened to this song.
He's the only one that sees her clearly and he knows she's worth the work of enduring what other people say about her, and he was willing to save her from it all and make her remember who she really is.
"i'd walk through hell for you, let it burn right through my shoes, these soles are useless without you, through hell for you, let the torturing ensue my soul is useless without you..."
This is on the bottom of my shoes.
"i'd remind you, who you are, under their shelves"
Shell not selves
The greatest song...ever..
i cant believe he didnt rerecord this for is a real boy wouldve been a better choice than chia-like