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.
Why don't you ask the kids at Tiananmen Square?
Was fashion the reason why they were there?
They disguise it, hypnotize it
Television made you buy it
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my
She's scared that I will take her away from there
Dreams and her country, left with no one there
Mesmerized the simple minded
Propaganda leaves us blinded
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my girl
Was fashion the reason why they were there?
They disguise it, hypnotize it
Television made you buy it
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my
She's scared that I will take her away from there
Dreams and her country, left with no one there
Mesmerized the simple minded
Propaganda leaves us blinded
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my girl
I'm just sitting in my car and
Waiting for my girl
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To me, the main themes of this song are freedom and democracy and how we have come to misinterpret their meaning.
Did the students at Tiananmen square risk their lives just so they could wear the latest fashions and buy other material goods? They were obviously doing it for something more. The something more is a desire for freedom and democracy and the end of the tyranny. They have been oppressed for so long that they would risk their lives for freedom.
The media/advertisers have made freedom and democracy all about buing material goods. We have been hypnotized by television to believe that that's what freedom is all about. Has to do with the "i shop, therefore i am" philosphy of Americans.
He is waiting for someone to come with him (the car signifies going in a new direction or changing opinions). However, that someone is reluctant to go because she has been hypnotized and her dream and country are all that she puts value in. She is frightened about what this guy will show her because it will contradict all that she believes in and has been taught to believe. He wants to de-hypnotize her and show her the true meaning of freedom and democracy.
The people who only think about whats fed to them are being mezmorized by the media and television. They are blind to the true meaning of freedom/democracy. The guy is still waiting for this girl to be brave and accept the truth.
That was hella long. Sorry guys, but thats what I think of when I hear this song. Very powerful stuff, especially since I just took my final for my Chinese society class. Thanks for reading.
I believe that this song is about how the media infulences the general public to follow them in all means necessary. Sometimes without the public even realizing. "They disguise it, Hypnotise it. Television made you buy it." And "I'm just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl" could simply mean they are saying that with all of this going on, there's nothing to do, but lead your own life. I believe that rather then him waiting for his "girl" as in girlfriend, he may be waiting for his daughter after school etc.
Actually, the part that he's just sitting in his car and waiting for his girl, that's what he was doing at the time he wrote the song. Otherwise, your interpretation is entirely right. I think that it's about how the media hypnotizes us, and that we realize things like this while doing something insignificant, like sitting in a car, waiting for someone to come back.
I think that ads convince you that buying a shiny car will get you a girl, and that's why he's waiting, even convincing himself (thus the repetition) that he did not waist his life studying and getting a good job and lots of money, though he subconsciously knows how his life is empty.
Though it is highly true that the media is infact feeding us lies, or truths half told, there is nothing we can do about it except "Buy it". Sure, people will obiously not believe it, some people. But if you ask others they´ll just say "Hey, it was on the news..." We probably are getting Hypnotized, believing what THEY want us to believe. When something comes up on news, there is no GUARANTEE, what they say is true, UNLESS you were there. Its information probably the government doesnt want us to know. Its all media...
It feels like he's talking about us not being told the truth. "Why dont you ask the kids..." "was fashion the reason why they were there?" What was the reason they were there? Was it truely what we were told it was? "They disguise it. Hypnotize it. Television made you buy it" I dont think they're talking about literally buying things. But being suckered into believing something by disinformation. If someone successfully lied to you, then you 'bought it' "Mezmerized the simple minded propaganda leaves us blinded" If 1 big news company spews out a single lie (no pun intended), then estimate atleast 1/3 of our country takes it as fact. I think the song is about pulling the wool away from our eyes and seeing things for what they really are.
@RobZombieFan I agree with a lot of your interpretation except for your thoughts on the "was fashion the reason why they were there" line... this is what I believe they were saying:<br /> <br /> The song references the Tiananmen Square Massacre.<br /> "Why don't you ask the kids at Tiananmen Square? Was fashion the reason why they were there?"<br /> Thousands of kids from the local universities in Beijing and from neighboring cities flocked to the City Centre to protest for a democracy-based government. <br /> What SOAD is trying to say is, young people, such as college aged young adults, will most likely join a protest, or stand for a cause if almost all of their peers are doing it. They think it's popular, trending, "fashionable" to follow the masses....like sheep hypnotized to what they are being told by the media:<br /> ("Television made you buy it.")
I think that it talks about a story that happened in the tienamen square protests. A girl ignores her boyfriend's warnings, and goes to the protest, because she was worried about her country.Sadly, she never came back, leaving the boyfriend waiting in the car. And that is why (In my opinion always) the refrain is repeated 4 times in the end. The girl died during the protests, and he was waiting for her... The rest of the song talks about what lead to the tienamen square protests. They could be talking about that woman that put her body in front of a tank and stopped it, but that is another thought...
@agis100000 I think this answer makes the most sense in retrospect as I always listen to the song. It feels right. But I can't argue with slobs2's comment, which wouldn't be as meaningful. Honestly, I often thought that it was about a guy who was killed or taken in by the Chinese who happened to be in the area, and to highlight the govt tyrrany, the song repeats that verse, ie as in the wrong guy...but, I think I like your impression best so far.
@agis100000 <br /> @agis100000 The song references the Tiananmen Square Massacre.<br /> "Why don't you ask the kids at Tiananmen Square? Was fashion the reason why they were there?"<br /> Thousands of kids from the local universities in Beijing and from neighboring cities flocked to the City Centre to protest for a democracy-based government. <br /> What SOAD is trying to say is, young people, such as college aged young adults, will most likely join a protest, or stand for a cause if almost all of their peers are doing it. They think it's popular, trending, "fashionable" to follow the masses....like sheep hypnotized to what they are being told by the media:<br /> ("Television made you buy it.")<br /> And believing every hate-fueled scrap of propaganda that the government dispenses into the air waves without a question.<br /> ("Propaganda, leaves us blinded!")<br /> <br /> And then the line:<br /> "I'm just sitting in my car and, waiting for my girl."<br /> Is what Serj Tankian was actually doing when he wrote the lyrics for the song
Argh, someone got here and posted this before me. God, I am in love with this song already. I can't stop listening to it. I cannot wait for the entire CD. AHHH. Melts
This song is about a news article the band read about a Chechen rebel who was asked by police what he was doing in his car. He simply replied "Im just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl."
@Slobs2 do you have a link. It would be cool to read that. thanks a lot.
This is my favorite song of all time. It's one of the deepest songs I've ever found.
1: Why don't you ask the kids at Tienanmen square, is fashion the reason why they were there?
This refers to the 1989 Tienanmen square protests in china where a ton of college students peacefully protested asking their government "The People's Republic Of China," for freedom democracy and basic human rights like freedom of speech and suffrage (the ability to vote).
Many of them were killed by firing squad or being run over by tanks in a horrible suppression of human rights.
The song asks, "Do you think the kids of Tienanmen square fought and died in protest because it was fashionable?"
2 "They disguise and hypnotize it television made you buy it."
This part is about the civil liberties that 1st world countries slipping away and slowly being taken away while we do nothing. These being the same liberties that other people in places like China fought and died to try to attain.
They disguise it and hypnotize it means they are changing the meaning of certain elements of it while they take away what is most important.
"Television made you buy it" is about how people seem to just accept what is shown to the on the news without even thinking, "is this true,"
3: I'm just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl.
I'm doing nothing. I'm a normal person caring about normal things.
4: She's scared that I will take here away from there. Her dreams and her country left with no one there.
She (the girlfriend) cares about things greater then herself, (possibly from another country and has insight into the injustices.) She's scared that she will lose her freedom of thought and fall into the same hypnosis that engulfs America.
5: Memorize the simple minded. Propaganda leaves us blinded.
Another reference to modern media brainwashing people who believe everything they hear without checking the facts at to what actually happens.
6: I'm just sitting in my car and waiting for my girl.
I'm just a normal person, what do you expect of me. They repeat this a few times, kind of like an excuse.
@leonard102 nice interp. I had a different perspective about #4. It's as if one of the band had dated or known a chinese girl who, if she came here, nobly said that she "She's scared that I will take here away from there. Her dreams and her country left with no one there", as if no one will be there to speak up since there were so few of her, ie so few of the protestors
Hey guys, I posted the lyrics up for you. I couldn't find them ANYWHERE on the net. So I had to interpret them myself. I went through the song a couple times and that's what I got. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds completely right.
The first line is "Why don't you ask the kids at Tiananmen Square", Tiananmen Square being a famous public square in Beijing, China.
Another great serious SOAD song.