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 met myself
(Where'd you meet yourself, Shirley?)
I met myself coming back
From the grave
By then it was too late
They were all gathered round
I hadn't seen them for ages
I was in the ground
But by then it was too late
You can see he was beautiful
Cigarette, he stops for a cigarette
Now you can't move him
He thinks a lot, writes it down
Stops for a cigarette
All the world carried in a handbag
Levitating above the bed
A shock of hair and a trip into space
The handbag drops and rolls away
Oh how on earth are we supposed to help him?
How on earth are we supposed to help him?
He had the chance
To go into space
He had the chance
To know himself
He traded it for a guaranteed
Place on earth
No
You can't move him
He won't let anybody in
Even us
We're left outside
He's inside smoking
We're left outside
The rain comes pouring down
He's inside
The rain comes pouring in
How on earth are we supposed to help him?
How on earth are we supposed to help him?
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
(Does he know which way he's falling?)
He's sat inside on his own
He's living life inside his head
He's trying to let his feelings show
But he's scared to really open up
He had the chance to go into space
He had the chance to know himself
He dreams of getting off the floor
But he can't get up, he can't get up
You see
He was beautiful
You see
He was beautiful
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
You can see He was beautiful
Sat inside with nothing to do
And you see
He was so full of promise
And you see
When you look at him now
You can barely recognise him
Just lying there
Looking at the air
Looking inside his head
To see what he can do today
(Where'd you meet yourself, Shirley?)
I met myself coming back
From the grave
By then it was too late
They were all gathered round
I hadn't seen them for ages
I was in the ground
But by then it was too late
You can see he was beautiful
Cigarette, he stops for a cigarette
Now you can't move him
He thinks a lot, writes it down
Stops for a cigarette
All the world carried in a handbag
Levitating above the bed
A shock of hair and a trip into space
The handbag drops and rolls away
Oh how on earth are we supposed to help him?
How on earth are we supposed to help him?
He had the chance
To go into space
He had the chance
To know himself
He traded it for a guaranteed
Place on earth
No
You can't move him
He won't let anybody in
Even us
We're left outside
He's inside smoking
We're left outside
The rain comes pouring down
He's inside
The rain comes pouring in
How on earth are we supposed to help him?
How on earth are we supposed to help him?
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
(Does he know which way he's falling?)
He's sat inside on his own
He's living life inside his head
He's trying to let his feelings show
But he's scared to really open up
He had the chance to go into space
He had the chance to know himself
He dreams of getting off the floor
But he can't get up, he can't get up
You see
He was beautiful
You see
He was beautiful
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
A shock of hair and a trip into space
(There's nowhere to go)
You can see He was beautiful
Sat inside with nothing to do
And you see
He was so full of promise
And you see
When you look at him now
You can barely recognise him
Just lying there
Looking at the air
Looking inside his head
To see what he can do today
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
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