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.
Today was a pretty day
No disappointments
No expectations on your whereabouts
And oh, did I let you go?
Did it finally show
That strange things will happen if you let them?
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
You can't reach me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
Today was a pretty day
Autumn comes with
These slight surprises where your life might twist and turn
Hope to unlearn
Strange things will happen
If you let them come around and stick around
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
You can't reach me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
Today I didn't even look to find
Something to put me in that peace of mind
You can't touch me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
No disappointments
No expectations on your whereabouts
And oh, did I let you go?
Did it finally show
That strange things will happen if you let them?
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
You can't reach me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
Today was a pretty day
Autumn comes with
These slight surprises where your life might twist and turn
Hope to unlearn
Strange things will happen
If you let them come around and stick around
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
You can't reach me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
Today I didn't even try to hide
I'll stay here and never push things to the side
Today I didn't even look to find
Something to put me in that peace of mind
You can't touch me 'cause I'm way beyond you today
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Fast Car
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Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
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.
Dreamwalker
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Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Head > Heels
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Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
"Today was a pretty day No disappointments No expectations on your whereabouts And oh, did I let you go? Did it finally show that strange things will happen if you let them?" This song is great. To me it's about the first day when the singer truly begins to move on after failed relationship. She had been trapped by the post-break up obsession, where she "accidentally" bumping into him (hence the expectations about his whereabouts), and then is always disappointed when he doesn't respond the way she wants him too. She hadn't truly allowed herself to let the relationship go, but now she has, and it's liberating. Break-ups often feel devastating and it's hard to have perspective on them, and so she is surprised when she finds that she actually can allow herself to move on with her life. "Strange things will happen if you let them"
So good!