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.
Look out boys, 'cause I'm a rollin' stone
That's what I was when I first left home
I took every secret that I'd ever known
And headed for the wall
Like a wrecking ball
Started down on the road to sin
Playin' bass under a pseudonym
The days were rough, and it's all quite dim
But my mind cuts through it all
Like a wrecking ball
Oh, just a little deadhead
Who is watching, who is watching
I's just a little deadhead
I won a dollar on a scholarship
Well, I got tired and let my average slip
Then I's a farmer in the pogonip
Of a weed that I recall
Was like a wrecking ball
Met a lovesick daughter of the San Joaquin
She showed me colors I'd never seen
Drank the bottom out of my canteen
Then left me in the fall
Like a wrecking ball
Standin' there, in the morning mist
A Jack & Coke at the end my wrist
I remember when first we kissed
'Though it was nothing at all
Like a wrecking ball
Hey boys, a little deadhead
Who's watching, who's watching
I's just a little deadhead
With too much trouble for me to shake
Oh, the weather and the blindin' ache
Was ridin' high until the '89 quake
Hit the Santa Cruz Garden Mall
Like a wrecking ball
That's what I was when I first left home
I took every secret that I'd ever known
And headed for the wall
Like a wrecking ball
Started down on the road to sin
Playin' bass under a pseudonym
The days were rough, and it's all quite dim
But my mind cuts through it all
Like a wrecking ball
Oh, just a little deadhead
Who is watching, who is watching
I's just a little deadhead
I won a dollar on a scholarship
Well, I got tired and let my average slip
Then I's a farmer in the pogonip
Of a weed that I recall
Was like a wrecking ball
Met a lovesick daughter of the San Joaquin
She showed me colors I'd never seen
Drank the bottom out of my canteen
Then left me in the fall
Like a wrecking ball
Standin' there, in the morning mist
A Jack & Coke at the end my wrist
I remember when first we kissed
'Though it was nothing at all
Like a wrecking ball
Hey boys, a little deadhead
Who's watching, who's watching
I's just a little deadhead
With too much trouble for me to shake
Oh, the weather and the blindin' ache
Was ridin' high until the '89 quake
Hit the Santa Cruz Garden Mall
Like a wrecking ball
Lyrics submitted by bluedogbeads
Wrecking Ball Lyrics as written by Gillian Howard Welch David Todd Rawlings
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
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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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Absolutely beautiful and powerful song, autobiographical or not and seems to chronicle a life's stages through "sin", not living up to parent's or other people's expectations of you and living a life off the grid or finding and following your own path perhaps made easier after having your mind's eye opened and seeing colors, life, the world, beauty, love as though you had never seen them before after you "met a LoveSick *Daughter of the San Joaquin" or had an LSD experience, in reference and an earthquake to shake you awake in case you weren't already paying attention to the way you should go in your life. That's my gut take on it. These two's music gets to my heart and soul and makes me happy and appreciative of life in the same manner. So real. Such love. I saw them in Chicago and it was an incredible time. I dearly hope they come back.
This song is gutwrenching, I love it, so powerful... Gillian's voice is perfect over the loopy electric guitar, it all just fits together... I think this is a pretty personal, autobiographical song for Gillian... but still I can relate to it. "My mind cuts through it all / Like a wrecking ball."
This song came on while I was driving back from seeing my dog for the last time before she was put to sleep. as soon as it started to play I began to cry.
I believe she was channeling Bob Dylan singing Like A Rolling Stone. Great great song.
I had been listening to this song for a few years at least when I started actually hearing some of the lyrics, and I started to pick out what seemed to be references to Santa Cruz, California, somewhere I lived for a while. I looked into it and was surprised that she had lived there, too, attending college at UC Santa Cruz.
She mentions "the Pogonip," which is a trail and area of the mountains behind UC Santa Cruz. These lyrics make it sound like she dropped out of classes to grow weed out in the woods there. I agree with slickeronstate about the "Lovesick Daughter"— it's probably a reference to taking LSD with her hippy friends in Santa Cruz. Lord knows it's a common enough practice there, especially back in the eighties.
The '89 quake was a big event in central California. The epicenter was in the forest of Nisene Marks, which is a beautiful place. I hiked by there once; there's a little monument even. My old piano teacher's daughter was in college at UCSC at the time, and I remember hearing stories from her about it. I remember the Bay Bridge in San Francisco collapsed and I'm pretty sure there were some casualties.
Anyway, it surprised me to suddenly make this connection with a song I already thought was beautiful, to suddenly find the lyrics run parallel to my own personal childhood mythology. And I figured it might be insightful to mention UCSC and Gillian's time there. Love this album.
~profanelexicon~