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.
Say from the forest itself comes the handle for the ax
Split this wilderness, listen, I'm not missing where it's at
Clear a path so that you could find your way back
Chop 'em down, chop 'em down chop 'em down, chop 'em down
Said time flies by like clouds passing in the sky
Lifetimes even gone in the blink of an eye
March through the desert one step at a time
March through the desert one step at a time
Said from the forest itself comes the handle for the ax
Drop the staff Moshe Rabbeinu split the ocean in half
March through the desert, this ain't where it's at
Said chop 'em down, Chop 'em down, chop 'em down, chop 'em down
Said patterns engraved not so easily erased
Still wandering trying to find your place
Playing the game I see pain on your face
Now a day's the Yidden like children sold as slaves
Strange ways running through the maze, strange ways always
Lost in the desert trying to find your way
Lost, lost in the desert trying to find your way
From the forest itself comes the handle for the ax
Split this wilderness, listen, I'm not missing where it's at
Clear a path so that you could find your way back
Said chop 'em down, chop 'em down chop 'em down, chop 'em down
Yosef descended sold as a slave
Thrown into a dungeon 'cause he wouldn't be swayed
Interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and Egypt was saved
Stockpiled food for seven years of rain
Sold to all the nations when the drought came
Yosef rose to power and the Yidden stayed
They started to build and success was made
Pharaoh is getting worried, let's make them pay
Bound in chains, firstborn was sent down to their graves
Moshe was saved and a prince he was raised
Hashem spoke to him, "here's a message to relay
Take my Nation from Mitzrayim I see the suffering"
Hard hearts ego breaks take sparks and make way
Trail blaze through the wasteland breaking the chains
Last generation just the remnants
Peel through the desert leaving footprints
Peel off the lid this is just plastic, lord
Get into it, get-get into it
Said heavy hitter stepping solid never quitter
Jump into the ocean before it split got a jump into it
Jump-jump into the ocean, jump into it
Rip-rip through Egypt rip through it
Six hundred thousand witnessed it, no you didn't forget
No you didn't forget
Rip-rip through Egypt rip through it
Said rip-rip through Egypt, yo
Said, in the spiritual desert things are not what they seem
Snakes camouflaged just to fit the scene
Put your faith in a mirage it's just a smokescreen
Just a smokescreen, just a smoke-
In the spiritual desert things are not what they seem
Snakes camouflaged just to fit in the scene
Put your faith in a mirage it's just a smokescreen
Took that path and you know you're in E-
Split this wilderness, listen, I'm not missing where it's at
Clear a path so that you could find your way back
Chop 'em down, chop 'em down chop 'em down, chop 'em down
Said time flies by like clouds passing in the sky
Lifetimes even gone in the blink of an eye
March through the desert one step at a time
March through the desert one step at a time
Said from the forest itself comes the handle for the ax
Drop the staff Moshe Rabbeinu split the ocean in half
March through the desert, this ain't where it's at
Said chop 'em down, Chop 'em down, chop 'em down, chop 'em down
Said patterns engraved not so easily erased
Still wandering trying to find your place
Playing the game I see pain on your face
Now a day's the Yidden like children sold as slaves
Strange ways running through the maze, strange ways always
Lost in the desert trying to find your way
Lost, lost in the desert trying to find your way
From the forest itself comes the handle for the ax
Split this wilderness, listen, I'm not missing where it's at
Clear a path so that you could find your way back
Said chop 'em down, chop 'em down chop 'em down, chop 'em down
Yosef descended sold as a slave
Thrown into a dungeon 'cause he wouldn't be swayed
Interpreted Pharaoh's dreams and Egypt was saved
Stockpiled food for seven years of rain
Sold to all the nations when the drought came
Yosef rose to power and the Yidden stayed
They started to build and success was made
Pharaoh is getting worried, let's make them pay
Bound in chains, firstborn was sent down to their graves
Moshe was saved and a prince he was raised
Hashem spoke to him, "here's a message to relay
Take my Nation from Mitzrayim I see the suffering"
Hard hearts ego breaks take sparks and make way
Trail blaze through the wasteland breaking the chains
Last generation just the remnants
Peel through the desert leaving footprints
Peel off the lid this is just plastic, lord
Get into it, get-get into it
Said heavy hitter stepping solid never quitter
Jump into the ocean before it split got a jump into it
Jump-jump into the ocean, jump into it
Rip-rip through Egypt rip through it
Six hundred thousand witnessed it, no you didn't forget
No you didn't forget
Rip-rip through Egypt rip through it
Said rip-rip through Egypt, yo
Said, in the spiritual desert things are not what they seem
Snakes camouflaged just to fit the scene
Put your faith in a mirage it's just a smokescreen
Just a smokescreen, just a smoke-
In the spiritual desert things are not what they seem
Snakes camouflaged just to fit in the scene
Put your faith in a mirage it's just a smokescreen
Took that path and you know you're in E-
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
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
anti-enviromental? clearly, chop em down is a metaphor he is using, and not a call to chop down the rain forests. this is the story of the slaves in egypt liberating themselves, and then "walk through the desert". in the desert, there arent forests to be chopping down, only the oppressor.
as for him being a religious fanatic, well, that would describe many reggae musicians. rastafari and hasidism are pretty similiar, and the themes in matisyahu's music are the same as most rasta roots music only he says hashem instead of jah.
i agree with dirtyshame, this is a great song and does not deserve a comment of such misinformed ingnorance
"From the forest itself comes the handle for the axe"
That's profound man.. (I'm not being sarcastic, i really think that's a great lyric)
I'm not Jewish but I have to say, I love this man! I play his cd very loud and my mother tells everyone to avoid me because I'm having my "Jewish rapper time." "From the forest itself comes the handle for the ax" and "put your faith in the mirage, it's just a smokescreen" are very big lyrics for. The first says, to me, that everything becomes the end for itself, it shows the circle of life. The second is just really, really awesome.
First comment? C'mon Matisyahu is sick.. Listen to them and enjoy yourself..
yes reference bob marley's "small axe" Its cool to hear the esoteric judaism in reggae beats coming at me. always meant to study it some - now i can put it off longer for the cliffs notes of music - nice lyrics
You mean those 600.000 men, women, and children freed themselves? Man, all this time I thought God did it.
Hasidic Judaism...nothing to do with religious fanatisicsm or the burning/cutting of any forests...please check yourselves before you wreck yourselves as Ice Cube would say. It's Scripture......in a Dub way.
I went to a Lutheran grade school and a Catholic high school.....we learned this story....read a fucking book.
You are right and wrong, Sully2018. While Hashem did help the Jews escape by empowering Moses with the use of the plagues, it was the strength and will of the people that ultimately made them free. Most Jews will teach, as I do, that Hashem gives man life, and He gives him power, but it is ultimately the free will of man to do with the power what he wishes. The slaves could have said "oh, but we'll never make it out...", but they didn't, they "chopped 'em down", e.g. the Pharoah and his armies, and then marched through the desert to freedom. Matisyahu makes me proud to be a Jew :)