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.
It's under shirt sleeves
Bare shoulders and now
Tattoos of the things we love the most
And it's retold with amazing success
And it seems so brave but it's just a sucker punch
And so I
I glower and plot
And I will wreck you
Chorus
It's what we loved in this family
Only in my head
It's knees and elbows
Melted down instead
Groups of things you tell yourself
I'm solid it's just that nobody knows
It's replayed with precision and care
And why are you even talking
You weren't even there
So I
I glower and plot
I will wreck you
Chorus [x2]
And we're waiting, waiting, waiting
Are you done?
Do you wonder whatever became of us
Have you ever tried to call?
I would, I'd try, I'd give it a shot
We've grown, graduated and married
I would want to know these things
I would, I'd try, I'd give it a shot
So we ache to be different
Even though we don't really know how
I would, I'd try, I'd give it a shot
Bare shoulders and now
Tattoos of the things we love the most
And it's retold with amazing success
And it seems so brave but it's just a sucker punch
And so I
I glower and plot
And I will wreck you
Chorus
It's what we loved in this family
Only in my head
It's knees and elbows
Melted down instead
Groups of things you tell yourself
I'm solid it's just that nobody knows
It's replayed with precision and care
And why are you even talking
You weren't even there
So I
I glower and plot
I will wreck you
Chorus [x2]
And we're waiting, waiting, waiting
Are you done?
Do you wonder whatever became of us
Have you ever tried to call?
I would, I'd try, I'd give it a shot
We've grown, graduated and married
I would want to know these things
I would, I'd try, I'd give it a shot
So we ache to be different
Even though we don't really know how
I would, I'd try, I'd give it a shot
Lyrics submitted by toadtws
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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.”
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he says 'I will wreck you' following right into 'it's what we loved in this family'. also 'I'm solid it's just that nobody knows'. To me I relate this song to how I feel sometimes about being the only sane/functional person in my family. The end part would be about myself and my siblings wanting to break the cycle and learn to be better than what we have become but we grow apart and don't really have the skills to stop it. I like how it starts off all smooth and quiet and by the end he's pretty much yelling it. solid song.