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.
My Auntie Eleanor had a very unhappy husband
Who hated his job and hated his life
So he wanted to drive his tan Chevy
Off of a bridge because he hated his car
And he hated his life
He couldn't silence the ever present thought
â??I'm doing all I can yet I'm an unsuccessful manâ??
And his heart was blank
Don't we know what blank people are good for
What they are good for?
My Auntie Eleanor had a very unhappy husband
Who just couldn't escape or catch a break
So he wanted to ride his bike
Blindfolded into traffic
Cause he hated his bike and he hated his life
His heart was consumed with guilt
From the knowledge he had not
Become a successful man
He was an unsuccessful man
And his heart was blank
Don't we know what blank people are good for
What they are good for?
Till one day my Auntie introduced him
To her friend named Gwendoline
And she must have made a stunning first impression
Because he left my Auntie
And never came back again leaving with Gwendoline
But my Auntie didn't care
She knew she could find
Another blank husband anywhere
By God they're everywhere
My Auntie Eleanor had a very unhappy husband
Who hated his job and hated his life
So he wanted to drive his tan Chevy
Off of a bridge because he hated his car
And he hated his life
He couldn't silence the ever present thought
â??I'm doing all I can yet I'm an unsuccessful manâ??
And his heart was blank
Don't we know what blank people are good for
What they are good for?
My Auntie Eleanor had a very unhappy husband
Who just couldn't escape or catch a break
So he wanted to ride his bike
Blindfolded into traffic
Cause he hated his bike and he hated his life
His heart was consumed with guilt
From the knowledge he had not
Become a successful man
He was an unsuccessful man
And his heart was blank
Don't we know what blank people are good for
What they are good for?
Till one day my Auntie introduced him
To her friend named Gwendoline
And she must have made a stunning first impression
Because he left my Auntie
And never came back again leaving with Gwendoline
But my Auntie didn't care
She knew she could find
Another blank husband anywhere
By God they're everywhere
My Auntie Eleanor had a very unhappy husband
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“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.
what blank people are good for?