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.
You want to chase, this rabbit down a hole
You start to slide and lose grip of control
Make haste, it's time, to ruin or reward
You say "give in" then you beg for more
You'll bury this, slow down
It's all this system breeds
You'll bury this, slow down, it's time to make amends
Save your eyes for this place where I define you
Myth or desire
When it's true love you held dear, feel it rising
So cut me, to size, I'm losing shape through all this
You call me sublime, you know that's such a waste of energy.
Will I change, your mind if I could show you my way?
A black stain on your heart, you know that's not what i want to see.
You'll bury this, slow down, it's time to make amends
(Always in vain now)
Save your eyes for this place where I define you
Myth or desire
When it's true love, you held dear, fear your horizons
You want to chase, this rabbit down a hole
You start to slide and lose grip of control
Make haste, it's time to ruin or reward
You say "give in" and then you beg for more
You'll bury this, slow down, it's time to make amends
I crave you
Set your eyes on this place where I define you
Myth or desire
When it's true love, you feel
Save your eyes for, this place where I define you
Myth or desire
When it's true love you feel here.
Feel it rising
You start to slide and lose grip of control
Make haste, it's time, to ruin or reward
You say "give in" then you beg for more
You'll bury this, slow down
It's all this system breeds
You'll bury this, slow down, it's time to make amends
Save your eyes for this place where I define you
Myth or desire
When it's true love you held dear, feel it rising
So cut me, to size, I'm losing shape through all this
You call me sublime, you know that's such a waste of energy.
Will I change, your mind if I could show you my way?
A black stain on your heart, you know that's not what i want to see.
You'll bury this, slow down, it's time to make amends
(Always in vain now)
Save your eyes for this place where I define you
Myth or desire
When it's true love, you held dear, fear your horizons
You want to chase, this rabbit down a hole
You start to slide and lose grip of control
Make haste, it's time to ruin or reward
You say "give in" and then you beg for more
You'll bury this, slow down, it's time to make amends
I crave you
Set your eyes on this place where I define you
Myth or desire
When it's true love, you feel
Save your eyes for, this place where I define you
Myth or desire
When it's true love you feel here.
Feel it rising
Lyrics submitted by MiniMaggit_6
Roquefort Lyrics as written by Ian Kenny Andrew Goddard
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
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.
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"
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”
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.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
Just thought I'd post to celebrate the awesomeness of this song. Dammit it rawks. I saw Karnivool live while the singer was wearing a dress, it was great. Yay to west australian music :)
My honest guess would of been that the song was about drugs or a trip.. falling like alice's trip down the "rabbit hole"
well yeh Karnivool are awesome :) one of the best bands to come out of Australia (and WA) in a while. Ive seen them live heaps, it was awesome seeing them i think it was Rock-It and the tumpet and trumbone player (i think) from Cat Empire make a special appearance for this song :P
Well a Roquefort is defined as: "A trademark for a soft cheese made from sheep's milk and ripened in caves near Roquefort, France." either that that i dont really know what it means, perhaps finding true love, like in the last stanza.
And we need more comments :P
I love this song. I heard it on triple j but Myf didnt say the name of the band or song loudly enough and i had no idea who it was by!!!!!!!!!!! it took so many weeks to figure it out and i thought i'd never hear it again. But i have figured it out... finally... and have discovered the rest of Karnivool's awesome stuff. And the are coming to Canberra!! YAY. This song rocks especially the re-recorded version with the Cat Empire Horn Section
hmm... maybe about a failing relationship, or a relationship that two people are trying to make work.
You want to chase, this rabbit down a hole You start to slide and lose grip of control Make haste, it's time, to ruin or reward You say give in then you beg for more
Great song and great band anyways...
To me the song is blatantly about sex (maybe my mind is in the gutter), remember this is just what I think... Its like he's got a girl and hes talking to her, before getting it on.
You want to chase, this rabbit down a hole, Refurring to her wanting to blow him.
You start to slide and lose grip of control, she starts really getting into it.
Make haste, it's time, to ruin or reward He wants her to go faster to make him cum (reward).
You say give in then you beg for more, She says cum, but still wants sex after...
If you look at the song from that perspective, it makes sense. I heard the song is called "Roquefort" because the songs cheesey.
I gotta say, when i first heard this song, i thought the words were slightly different from these ones.
First, i heard "You start to slide and lose con-fucking-trol..." which upon further listening, i determined wasn't the right lyric.
Then, I heard "Make haste, it's time, to ruin OUR reward..." Which i still stick by hearing, but i dunno if it changes the song.
I'm not a fan of the "it's about sex/it's called Roquefort because it's cheesy" arguement...i think it has a deeper meaning than that. I'm not trying to hate on mackcity, nor can i guess what it actually means, but i refuse to hear it as a cheesy sex song. It would ruin it.
Great Song! I think the song's about what your trying to do here - work it all out - chase the rabbit down the hole. (not about sex you wascally wabbits!) I agree with the seniments which I think are to drop science and re-embrace mysticism and desire ie follow the artist not the scientist. Not a bad idea, just remember we need to eat, a little, and it's always nice to share? and let's not bury everything all at once!
lol, u guys are funny as... the song isn't about love or nothing, Kenny (vocals) wrote the song while he was stoned and watching ALICE IN WONDERLAND, lol.
please note these points -You want to chase, this rabbit down a hole Alice chased a rabbit down a hole, into wonderland -So cut me, to size, I'm losing shape through all this when Alice was in that room, and kept growing/shrinking. ect...
if you dont believe me, ask him (Kenny). go on i dare u
@I_am_butters Drew Goddard talked about the meaning of the song title in an interview with Bieler Bros. Records, published on July 31, 2007:<br /> <br /> “Roquefort” is a strong tasting French cheese. This was a nickname/working title for the song that stuck, we just couldn’t imagine it being called anything else. The song was originally written with the horn section, and therefore it gave it a slight tongue-in-cheek cheese vibe, and due to the swing/big band vibe of the song, Rock-a-Forte (strong rock fff.) sounded like something you’d stick up the top of a jazz chart. The lyrics are open to interpretation. But for me “Roquefort” is all about love and loss, I find it quite hilarious/ironic that lyrically, these issues far removed from potent French cheese! I do think that the upbeat, positive sound of the song works well juxta-posed against the serious, sometimes melancholy lyrics. For me, it’s like encouraging yourself or someone in a dark period of their life to bounce back, and look on the bright side!
Roquefort is also a mouse, from "The Aristocats".