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.
betrayed again by those around me
no one to blame 'cause i surround myself
why can’t my friends just make me happy
to do it right you’ve got to do it yourself
i’m on a mission to achieve my goals
succeed in those things that i care for most
i’m free
can’t stand the sight of you without me
the thought alone just makes my stomach turn
how come i can't just make you happy
to do it right you’ve got to do it alone
no one to blame 'cause i surround myself
why can’t my friends just make me happy
to do it right you’ve got to do it yourself
i’m on a mission to achieve my goals
succeed in those things that i care for most
i’m free
can’t stand the sight of you without me
the thought alone just makes my stomach turn
how come i can't just make you happy
to do it right you’ve got to do it alone
Lyrics submitted by jimfear14
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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.
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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 song. I can really relate to it... if you have a chance, try to look for it... it's worth every second. I love Taproot.
anyway, onto the song meaning!:
"betrayed again by those around me no one to blame 'cause i surround myself why can’t my friends just make me happy to do it right you’ve got to do it yourself"
well obviously this is pretty easy... the person keeps getting stabbed in the back by the ones he trusted so much, and he acknowledges that it is his fault because he associated himself with the wrong people, so now he has to try and a make a change for the better and meet new people.
"i’m on a mission to achieve my goals succeed in those things that i care for most i’m free"
pretty self-explanatory. he's just trying to motivate himself and stay focused in achieving what he feels is the right thing to do, in this case, meet new people and make friends.
"can’t stand the sight of you without me the thought alone just makes my stomach turn how come i can't just make you happy to do it right you’ve got to do it alone"
this part could mean 2 things, either 1. now that he has met new people and has new friends, he's looking back & remembering all the good times he had with his old friends that fucked him over, and he just wants things to go back to the way things were, but he knows that it can't ever be that way, and it kills him inside. but, he knows that he can't keep living in the past, and has to move on. or 2. it's about a girl, and how he just wants to be around her all the time, but he can't because there's always something in the way, and it pisses him off. so then he resorts to masturbating ("to do it right you've got to do it alone") lol. that's how I see it anyway.