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.
I love how they used to say
It's all in your head
You're a paranoid picture
You're a photograph
Exposed by the light
When you stepped outside
Burnt by the sun
That's in your eyes
But when I saw it in my face
In this mirror that needs to break
Something bothered me and left me to feel
Betrayal, Betrayal
It rips right through me
How you lie right to me
Betrayal, Betrayal
Will this world make better sense?
Once you mean nothing to me...
It's on the cutting room floor
Footage of this mess
Filmed then packaged and ready to sell
Betrayal, Betrayal
It rips right through me
How you lie right to me
Betrayal, Betrayal
Will this world make better sense?
Once you mean nothing to me...
Betrayal, Betrayal
You used to live in a memory,
Now those pictures are burning now (now)
You're a memory
A fingerprint on the film
You're a shadow in the sun
Now it's your time to burn
Betrayal, Betrayal
It rips right through me
How you lie right to me
Betrayal, Betrayal
Will this world make better sense?
Once you mean nothing to me...
One day, you will come crawling,
To the same place that I have been...
It's all in your head
You're a paranoid picture
You're a photograph
Exposed by the light
When you stepped outside
Burnt by the sun
That's in your eyes
But when I saw it in my face
In this mirror that needs to break
Something bothered me and left me to feel
Betrayal, Betrayal
It rips right through me
How you lie right to me
Betrayal, Betrayal
Will this world make better sense?
Once you mean nothing to me...
It's on the cutting room floor
Footage of this mess
Filmed then packaged and ready to sell
Betrayal, Betrayal
It rips right through me
How you lie right to me
Betrayal, Betrayal
Will this world make better sense?
Once you mean nothing to me...
Betrayal, Betrayal
You used to live in a memory,
Now those pictures are burning now (now)
You're a memory
A fingerprint on the film
You're a shadow in the sun
Now it's your time to burn
Betrayal, Betrayal
It rips right through me
How you lie right to me
Betrayal, Betrayal
Will this world make better sense?
Once you mean nothing to me...
One day, you will come crawling,
To the same place that I have been...
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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wow! only 6 comments for this song?? You people need to start listening to ALL of Victory Records' bands!
Anyways, obviously, he's been cheated on by his girlfriend leaving him feeling "betrayed".
"You used to live in a memory, Now those pictures are burning...now You're a memory, A fingerprint on the film, You're a shadow in the sun, Now it's your time to burn..."
Since she's "burned" him internally, now he's burning photos that held memories of them together! good stufff.
(check out the music video to this, its pretty good.)