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.
I'm gettin'
I'm gettin'
I'm gettin'
I'm gettin' over
And pushing past all the bullshit
And getting right to the root
Of what the problem really is
The reasons for the misunderstandings
The emergency landings
On a plane headed for home
It's where the heart was living
Till it was without feeling
And started revealing itself to everyone else
By just packing up, moving out
Saying it could do without
A barely able, unstable, running off at the mouth
So I'm tearing this and everything else between
Me and what I wanna do, to pieces
I'm tearing you and everything else between
Me and you to memory
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
Now if you would've waited one second
You wouldn't feel so second
The second I put you first
It made the situation worse
'cause you wanna take advantage and control of the things
That I manage to keep under control
Like, my happiness, my family, and all of my music
You had it all
You chose to abuse it
So I'm tearing this and everything else between
Me and what I wanna do, to pieces
I'm tearing you and everything else between
Me and you to memory
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
What's wrong with me?
You want to know what's wrong with me?
I could ask you the exact same thing
What's wrong with me?
You want to know what's wrong with me?
I could ask you the exact same thing
I have my opinion and you have yours
You don't have to like mine, 'cause I don't like yours
I have my opinion and you have yours
You don't have to like mine, 'cause I don't like yours
What's wrong with you?
I want to know what's wrong with you
And why this doesn't make sense to you
What's wrong with you?
I want to know what's wrong with you
And why this doesn't make sense to you
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kick (Woooah)
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
Now I see everything
In front of me (now)
Now I see everything
In front of me (now)
I'm gettin'
I'm gettin'
I'm gettin' over
And pushing past all the bullshit
And getting right to the root
Of what the problem really is
The reasons for the misunderstandings
The emergency landings
On a plane headed for home
It's where the heart was living
Till it was without feeling
And started revealing itself to everyone else
By just packing up, moving out
Saying it could do without
A barely able, unstable, running off at the mouth
So I'm tearing this and everything else between
Me and what I wanna do, to pieces
I'm tearing you and everything else between
Me and you to memory
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
Now if you would've waited one second
You wouldn't feel so second
The second I put you first
It made the situation worse
'cause you wanna take advantage and control of the things
That I manage to keep under control
Like, my happiness, my family, and all of my music
You had it all
You chose to abuse it
So I'm tearing this and everything else between
Me and what I wanna do, to pieces
I'm tearing you and everything else between
Me and you to memory
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
What's wrong with me?
You want to know what's wrong with me?
I could ask you the exact same thing
What's wrong with me?
You want to know what's wrong with me?
I could ask you the exact same thing
I have my opinion and you have yours
You don't have to like mine, 'cause I don't like yours
I have my opinion and you have yours
You don't have to like mine, 'cause I don't like yours
What's wrong with you?
I want to know what's wrong with you
And why this doesn't make sense to you
What's wrong with you?
I want to know what's wrong with you
And why this doesn't make sense to you
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kicking
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
I'm stronger now even after everything that you did
Still alive and kick (Woooah)
I'm better now, I'm awake
Now I can see, everything in front of me (now)
Now I see everything
In front of me (now)
Now I see everything
In front of me (now)
Lyrics submitted by TryNotToCry
Alive and Kicking Lyrics as written by James Kerr Charles Burchill
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, 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
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"
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
I listen to this song and think about my ex...as im pushing myself at the gym and listening to this im thinking to myself "look at what Ive done and how far I have come. I no longer sit at home wallowing in depression/grief/regret. Im getting my shit together while you sit on your ass and rot. Im tearing it up and focusing on what I want. So F*** you and have a nice day. :)
Great song to listen to at the gym!!!