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.
Out of Egypt, Into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt from My Sandals as I Run song meanings
Add Your Thoughts
15 Comments
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
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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,
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
"Out of Egypt" is a common Jewish/Christian reference to God's salvation--by His own power bringing His people out of slavery and oppression.
"The Great Laugh of Mankind" feels like more of a stretch, because contrary to how we typically view laughter (joy and happiness), in the Bible laughter tends to be more about mocking and sneering (esp. when talking about "mankind" as a whole). For instance, Psalm 44:14 says "You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples" and Psalm 80:6 says, "You make us an object of contention for our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves."
Regarding "And I Shake The Dirt From My Sandals As I Run," you'll find this in chapter six of the Mark's Gospel: "And [Jesus] said to them, '...if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.'"
So put all that together and this could be a way of saying, "God has pulled me out of this mess we're all trapped in, and now I'm running headlong into the world's mocking and criticism to tell you what I know, but if you refuse to listen, then the consequences are on your own heads." Kind of a sobering way to close an album.
Southern Illinois is nicknamed "Little Egypt"
if this song is from come on,feel the illinoise(which i am assuming it is),its in reference to an area i live not far and sort of in there is a town called cairo way way south by missouri thus southern illinois is called little egypt. oh yeah and that whole lake,sand thing.
this is simply an astoundingly beautiful song. wow. it sort of like broken social scene, willlliw, though i see broken social scene as more organized chaos, and i don't find sufjan's music chaotic at all. just a personal opinion, though.
To me this song is about the ultimate acceptance of social identity. Sufjan spent the first seventy minutes talking about vanity, murder, love, death, fear, ambition, failure, and it is all indeed very laughable. It is the mess of human life, and in the final song we plunge face first into that mess, free and content.
Sufjan Stevens is a fantastic composer, but this borrows heavily from the music of Steve Reich. Compare with Music for 18 Musicians, written in 1978: youtube.com/watch
It's super cool, but this technique is nothing new. The repeated tonal pulsating percussive beat with interwoven melodic lines is the same, with voices and woodwinds floating over the surface.
What Sufjan's doing sounds gorgeous and this is a wonderful homage to Steve Reich!
Totally in agreement with morgan1366
I'm not sure what the title means, and I think most of you guys have got the topic covered, but the music is very heavy Steve Reich. I think Sufjan does this type of minimalism on a few other songs on his other album "Michigan" ('Tahquamenon Falls' and even 'Alanson, Crooked River' have this sense of Reich). I love his approach, and obviously it has a Reich influence with the rhythmic tonal beats and an intertwined melody on top. It's a good try at creating minimalism, but Reich is the GOAT in that type of music. Great homage though. Sufjan gets better and better the more I listen to his stuff.
@YYZ2112 For the Egypt part it references the southern part of Illinois. It was once known as "Little Egypt" The states most southern town is Cairo. Its probably not a coincidence that this song is at the bottom of the track list.
something with the theme of God bringing his chosen people out of egypt maybe???
something with the theme of God bringing his chosen people out of egypt maybe???
Yeah, I think so...
I love that he chose to conclude the album with such an interesting song. There's just this serence sense of closure at the end.