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.
Enforcer:
Post
Nuclear
Surface probe
Scanning for
Life signs
All either dead
Or praying for
The next impact
Couldn't rise
Past all these
Sworn perimeters
And besides,
All their wars
Were just cheap breeding contests
And unearthed
Their ripped jaws still screamed:
Survivor:
Awoke to find the sky below a swollen ground as it all lifted up
I heard no voices in this storm and even as they overburned,
I've never felt more alive
They built me well against this dawn until
They led me through their righteous armored gears
And as they grinded on, I realized that I've swallowed whole
The corpse of my belief
Yet still...
I AM ALL ARMED AND READY
MY FAITH'S ALL STRAPPED
THE BLOOD RUNS COLDER
THE DAYS DRAIN PAST
I GO ON
I'M READY FOR WAR
Except,
RAISED FLAGS AND ALL THE PRIDE YOU SPIT
WILL NEVER MAKE AN IMPACT
I'm still all armed and ready
This mind is all torn
They ripped this faith off, they'll have it ready to blow
I'll go on
They're still praying for war
Enforcer:
SO LET THEM
PRAISE THEIR SWARMS
AND WORSHIP THEIR EVERY
IMPACT
WHILE THEY
GRIND THEIR WARS
AND SELL THEM TO EVERY LAST
PERIMETER
THEY HAVE BRED
BEYOND ALL HOPE
OF A RESOLVE
LET THEIR JAWS
RIP INTO THEIR LAST
OBLIVION
Post
Nuclear
Surface probe
Scanning for
Life signs
All either dead
Or praying for
The next impact
Couldn't rise
Past all these
Sworn perimeters
And besides,
All their wars
Were just cheap breeding contests
And unearthed
Their ripped jaws still screamed:
Survivor:
Awoke to find the sky below a swollen ground as it all lifted up
I heard no voices in this storm and even as they overburned,
I've never felt more alive
They built me well against this dawn until
They led me through their righteous armored gears
And as they grinded on, I realized that I've swallowed whole
The corpse of my belief
Yet still...
I AM ALL ARMED AND READY
MY FAITH'S ALL STRAPPED
THE BLOOD RUNS COLDER
THE DAYS DRAIN PAST
I GO ON
I'M READY FOR WAR
Except,
RAISED FLAGS AND ALL THE PRIDE YOU SPIT
WILL NEVER MAKE AN IMPACT
I'm still all armed and ready
This mind is all torn
They ripped this faith off, they'll have it ready to blow
I'll go on
They're still praying for war
Enforcer:
SO LET THEM
PRAISE THEIR SWARMS
AND WORSHIP THEIR EVERY
IMPACT
WHILE THEY
GRIND THEIR WARS
AND SELL THEM TO EVERY LAST
PERIMETER
THEY HAVE BRED
BEYOND ALL HOPE
OF A RESOLVE
LET THEIR JAWS
RIP INTO THEIR LAST
OBLIVION
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Plastic Bag
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“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.