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.
Not for lack of a gentle mother
I do lack a mental cover
It keeps on pounding my head
World order, water torture, exhausted economics
Everyday just more comics
In a pissing contest
That started out with atomic
Bombs, mom will they drop the bomb
Will they think about their children's children
Being born with limbs missing
There's no one to call
You can't make 'em stall
I want to feed them to each other
'Cause I'm sick of them all
How can't you see something's missing
Is anyone listening
We're shooting up flares
Does anyone care
They've got this world locked down bound and gagged
From the rez in Pine Ridge to that land in Baghdad
When did our leaders
Become bottom feeders
We're shooting up flares
Does anyone care
They got this world locked down bound and gagged
With constant fear and paranoia, toxins in our head
It's just something they know how to do
(How to make everyone feel uncalm)
The masses just take it while they turn the screws
(Bring to a boil, add oil, then bomb)
It's just something that we gotta fight
(How to make everyone feel uncalm)
Keep us distracted with fuel to ignite
(Bring to a boil)
Porno shows, MTV hoes, and on the radio
It's the same fucking song
That's just the way it goes
Cultures referral to democracy's girls
Learn the rules of engagement sweetheart
This is the world
How can so many sit silent
Numb to the violence
We're shooting up flares
Does anyone care
They got this world locked down bound and gagged
The Botoxed Barbie dolls in stupid magazine ads
It's just something they know how to do
(How to make everyone feel uncalm)
The masses just take it while they turn the screws
(Bring to a boil, add oil, then bomb)
Embodying all that we know to be wrong
(How to make everyone feel uncalm)
When a war chant becomes the popular song
(Bring to a boil)
I do lack a mental cover
It keeps on pounding my head
World order, water torture, exhausted economics
Everyday just more comics
In a pissing contest
That started out with atomic
Bombs, mom will they drop the bomb
Will they think about their children's children
Being born with limbs missing
There's no one to call
You can't make 'em stall
I want to feed them to each other
'Cause I'm sick of them all
How can't you see something's missing
Is anyone listening
We're shooting up flares
Does anyone care
They've got this world locked down bound and gagged
From the rez in Pine Ridge to that land in Baghdad
When did our leaders
Become bottom feeders
We're shooting up flares
Does anyone care
They got this world locked down bound and gagged
With constant fear and paranoia, toxins in our head
It's just something they know how to do
(How to make everyone feel uncalm)
The masses just take it while they turn the screws
(Bring to a boil, add oil, then bomb)
It's just something that we gotta fight
(How to make everyone feel uncalm)
Keep us distracted with fuel to ignite
(Bring to a boil)
Porno shows, MTV hoes, and on the radio
It's the same fucking song
That's just the way it goes
Cultures referral to democracy's girls
Learn the rules of engagement sweetheart
This is the world
How can so many sit silent
Numb to the violence
We're shooting up flares
Does anyone care
They got this world locked down bound and gagged
The Botoxed Barbie dolls in stupid magazine ads
It's just something they know how to do
(How to make everyone feel uncalm)
The masses just take it while they turn the screws
(Bring to a boil, add oil, then bomb)
Embodying all that we know to be wrong
(How to make everyone feel uncalm)
When a war chant becomes the popular song
(Bring to a boil)
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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"
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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“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.
its obv about the war and corrupted governments and how society doesn't take notice of what is going on around the world cause people are out living there life and doing what they want.. thats what i think anyway.. good song :)
Best song on DTOM, well at least I think it is.
It is a great song...it seems at first that its just the load song of the album but when u actually read the lyrics u can see a powerful combination of words...it sounds better everytime i hear it
this is also my favorite song on the cd
I think long for the flowers is a little better....and whiskey and wine too...but they're all pretty good
Best song on album
this song makes me feel so good, seeing such a big band standing up for what's right.
By far the most pissed-off song 311's ever done.
Most definitely about our current administration(they mention Baghdad, after all...)...and all politicos, for that matter ("Wanna feed 'em to each other, 'cuz I'm sick of 'em all"). Probably the best song on DTOM, if not one of the best they've ever done.
i wish i could put together lyrics as powerful as that first verse.. one of my favorite songs to jam to, emotional chords and tricky pauses taking the song far away from the realm of ballads.
I'm glad that they put this song on the album, it really takes that sense of selfishness out of an album when you put a song like this on the playlist. What an open mind 311 has.