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.
How can I? How can I? How can I?
Get up, make a buck
Get up, make a buck
My race was bred on hash
My race was bred on hash
Get up, make a buck,
Get up, make a buck.
The stolen dark
Please don't [muffled].
What you need [band]
How can I?
What you need [band]
How can I?
What you need [band]
What you need [band]
Turn down a corner I
Been bleeding some itch
What you need [band]
How can I?
What you need [band]
What you need [MES]
What you need [MES and band]
An oven mitt
What you need for your verbose kitchen
What you need [MES and band]
Present notebook for you
What you need [MES and band]
A bit of Iggy Stooge.
What you need
Whay you need
Reduced smoking habit
What you need
Sex but not having it
What you need
One face
Two face new
What you need
Slippery shoes for your horrible feet
We're obsessed with
What you need
What you need is to love her so much
What you need is us as pressure group
Out of reach
What you need
On this we're all agreed
What you need
One: Face with girl past
What you need
Two: a profile that is low-key
And to meet your horrible new dad
With a grudge against me
What you need
What you need
Is a censor for pals like these.
What you need
What you need
What you need
What you need is
One. What face?
Two: face new
Three. Face mag for arse
Four. Three rules of audience
Five. Mug of Geoff Travis, framed
Six. The book Theft is Vision by the brothers Copeland.
What you need
Finance luck
What you need
What you need
Out of reach
What you need
What you need
What you need
What you need
Get up, make a buck
What you need
How can I?
What you need
How can I?
What you need
How can I?
What you need
Get up, make a buck
Get up, make a buck
My race was bred on hash
My race was bred on hash
Get up, make a buck,
Get up, make a buck.
The stolen dark
Please don't [muffled].
What you need [band]
How can I?
What you need [band]
How can I?
What you need [band]
What you need [band]
Turn down a corner I
Been bleeding some itch
What you need [band]
How can I?
What you need [band]
What you need [MES]
What you need [MES and band]
An oven mitt
What you need for your verbose kitchen
What you need [MES and band]
Present notebook for you
What you need [MES and band]
A bit of Iggy Stooge.
What you need
Whay you need
Reduced smoking habit
What you need
Sex but not having it
What you need
One face
Two face new
What you need
Slippery shoes for your horrible feet
We're obsessed with
What you need
What you need is to love her so much
What you need is us as pressure group
Out of reach
What you need
On this we're all agreed
What you need
One: Face with girl past
What you need
Two: a profile that is low-key
And to meet your horrible new dad
With a grudge against me
What you need
What you need
Is a censor for pals like these.
What you need
What you need
What you need
What you need is
One. What face?
Two: face new
Three. Face mag for arse
Four. Three rules of audience
Five. Mug of Geoff Travis, framed
Six. The book Theft is Vision by the brothers Copeland.
What you need
Finance luck
What you need
What you need
Out of reach
What you need
What you need
What you need
What you need
Get up, make a buck
What you need
How can I?
What you need
How can I?
What you need
How can I?
What you need
Lyrics submitted by birthcontrolblues
What You Need Lyrics as written by Craig Scanlon Brixe Smith
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
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The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
this song is based on an episode of the Twilight Zone of the same name about a peddler who knows what people need before they need it
"the book Theft Is Vision by the brothers Copeland" is a slam on the people at Mark Smith's first label.