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.
And i was a boy from school
helplessly helping all the rules
and there was a boy at school
hopelessly wrestling all his fools
and there was a girl at school
blaming all the words she learned from home
nothing could keep her a child
long hours don't you know we try
we try but we didn't have long
we try but we don't belong
we try but we didn't have long
we try but we don't belong
now i meet you on the street
harmlessly breaking rules, we meet
lives are found and love's are lost
say goodbye to nothing everything caused
now i find you on my street
breaking rules hopelessly we meet
lives are found but love's are lost
say goodbye to everything, nothing caused
we try but we didn't have long
we try but we don't belong
we try but we didn't have long
we try but we don't belong
helplessly helping all the rules
and there was a boy at school
hopelessly wrestling all his fools
and there was a girl at school
blaming all the words she learned from home
nothing could keep her a child
long hours don't you know we try
we try but we didn't have long
we try but we don't belong
we try but we didn't have long
we try but we don't belong
now i meet you on the street
harmlessly breaking rules, we meet
lives are found and love's are lost
say goodbye to nothing everything caused
now i find you on my street
breaking rules hopelessly we meet
lives are found but love's are lost
say goodbye to everything, nothing caused
we try but we didn't have long
we try but we don't belong
we try but we didn't have long
we try but we don't belong
Lyrics submitted by dolcecars
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Grizzly Bear, does a niceeeee version of this, I love me some Ed Droste.
I like the Grizzly Bear version better than the original, though they convey different moods.
i just had a thought and it may or may not be anthing. could it be from the perspective of a teacher seeing one of his/her students on the street, years after the students left school. the ex-student may have turned out to be a bit of a looser and its the teacher thinking to himself "we try but we didn't have long". i dunno. for me the song is slightly depressing. i dunno why.
This is a lovely song, i got it off a friend of mine, its really nice.
And i was a boy from school helplessly helping all the rules and there was a boy at school hopelessly wrestling all his fools and there was a girl at school blaming all the words she learned from home nothing could keep her a child long hours don't you know we try
we try but we didn't have long we try but we don't belong we try but we didn't have long we try but we don't belong
now i meet you on the street harmlessly breaking rules, we meet lives are found and love's are lost say goodbye to nothing everything caused now i find you on my street breaking rules hopelessly we meet lives are found but love's are lost say goodbye to everything, nothing caused
i hope this is a little more clear.
i beleve the song is about how the real important lessongs in life are not learned in school or in bookes, but only through living.
just another amazing song by hot chip
I think it's about alienation and not fitting in. Any teen feels that, especially at school. "We try, but we don't belong", and in the end our innocence is lost. It speaks to disaffection and rebellion in our lives. It's defeintely their most cerebral song. Great beat though.
I love that Hot Chip just say whatever they like. That kind of un-selfconscious sincerity sets people free.
Boy from School is just a gentle lovely song about someone reflecting on how complex it seemed, but infact turned out not to be.
I like what bloc_party15 said.
Hot Chip are very kool.
i love this song!
"now i found you on my street"
is actually
"now i found you on THE street"
there's also a piece of the song missing. this comes near the end and is repeated a few times:
"i got, i got lost he said this was the way back"
Thanks for sharing! I was trying to figure out what he was singing at the end.
Does this song remind anyone else of the music from Bomberman Hero for the N64?
I'm just happy someone else remembers Bomberman 64