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.
She walked in the court, her knees buckle
Saying for a man to survive he need hustle
Seen and been through struggle her whole life
Made the transition from being his ho to his wife
Stifling, the night upend the ATF bust in
Her daddy was a hustler, so she love them
Looked at the jury, how can they judge him, she screamed
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Please let me testify
Fear in her chest, her face in tears
Had her mans back, he was facing years
In her name though the place was his
They tryna take everything except the kids
For years she been through scuffles and fights
While he tryna hustle that white
Up all night wondering if he's alive
Seeing him tried, she bubbled inside and screamed
Before you lock my love away (uh), before you lock my love away (yeah)
Before you lock my love away (yeah), before you lock my love away
Please let me testify
The judge yelled for order
Court reporter makin' her words shorter
His lawyer sat next to him
She could see how the trial was affecting him
It hurt for her eyes to connect with him
Using her lies for protecting him
They arrested him for murder and gun possession
As they read back her confession, she screamed
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away (uh)
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Please let me testify
The court awaited as the foreman got the verdict from the bailiff
Emotional outbursts, tears and smeared makeup
It stated, he was guilty on all charges
She's shaking, looking like she took it the hardest
A spin artist, she brought her face up laughing
That's when the prosecutor realized what happened
All that speaking her mind, testifying and crying
When this bitch did the crime
The queenpin
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Please let me testify
You accuse me of a, you accuse me of a, you accuse
Please let me testify, you accuse me of a
You accuse me of a, you accuse, please let me testify
You accuse me of a, you accuse me of a, you accuse
Please let me testify, you accuse me of a
You accuse me of a
Saying for a man to survive he need hustle
Seen and been through struggle her whole life
Made the transition from being his ho to his wife
Stifling, the night upend the ATF bust in
Her daddy was a hustler, so she love them
Looked at the jury, how can they judge him, she screamed
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Please let me testify
Fear in her chest, her face in tears
Had her mans back, he was facing years
In her name though the place was his
They tryna take everything except the kids
For years she been through scuffles and fights
While he tryna hustle that white
Up all night wondering if he's alive
Seeing him tried, she bubbled inside and screamed
Before you lock my love away (uh), before you lock my love away (yeah)
Before you lock my love away (yeah), before you lock my love away
Please let me testify
The judge yelled for order
Court reporter makin' her words shorter
His lawyer sat next to him
She could see how the trial was affecting him
It hurt for her eyes to connect with him
Using her lies for protecting him
They arrested him for murder and gun possession
As they read back her confession, she screamed
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away (uh)
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Please let me testify
The court awaited as the foreman got the verdict from the bailiff
Emotional outbursts, tears and smeared makeup
It stated, he was guilty on all charges
She's shaking, looking like she took it the hardest
A spin artist, she brought her face up laughing
That's when the prosecutor realized what happened
All that speaking her mind, testifying and crying
When this bitch did the crime
The queenpin
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Before you lock my love away, before you lock my love away
Please let me testify
You accuse me of a, you accuse me of a, you accuse
Please let me testify, you accuse me of a
You accuse me of a, you accuse, please let me testify
You accuse me of a, you accuse me of a, you accuse
Please let me testify, you accuse me of a
You accuse me of a
Lyrics submitted by jaysscholar
Testify Lyrics as written by Angelo Bond General N. Johnson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, 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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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.
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.
What a super song!!!