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.
Lights out
I still hear the rain
These images that fill my head
Now keep my fingers from making mistakes
Tell my voice what it takes
To speak up
Speak up
And keep my conscience clean when I wake
Don't make this easy
I want you to mean it
Jasey (say you'll mean it)
You're dressed to kill
I'm calling you out (don't waste your time on me)
Now there's an aching in my back;
A stabbing pain that says I lack
The common sense and confidence
To bring an end to promises
That I make in times of desperate conversation
Hoping my night could be better than theirs in the end
Just say when
Don't make this easy
I want you to mean it
Jasey (say you'll mean it)
You're dressed to kill
I'm calling you out
(Don't waste your time on me)
I've never told a lie
And that makes me a liar
I've never made a bet, but we gamble with desire
I've never lit a match with intent to start a fire
But recently the flames are getting out of control
Call me a name
Kill me with words
Forget about me
It's what I deserve
I was your chance
To get out of this town
But I ditched the car and left you to
Wait outside
I hope the air will serve to remind you
That my heart is as cold as the clouds of your breath
And my words are as timed as the beating in my chest
I still hear the rain
These images that fill my head
Now keep my fingers from making mistakes
Tell my voice what it takes
To speak up
Speak up
And keep my conscience clean when I wake
Don't make this easy
I want you to mean it
Jasey (say you'll mean it)
You're dressed to kill
I'm calling you out (don't waste your time on me)
Now there's an aching in my back;
A stabbing pain that says I lack
The common sense and confidence
To bring an end to promises
That I make in times of desperate conversation
Hoping my night could be better than theirs in the end
Just say when
Don't make this easy
I want you to mean it
Jasey (say you'll mean it)
You're dressed to kill
I'm calling you out
(Don't waste your time on me)
I've never told a lie
And that makes me a liar
I've never made a bet, but we gamble with desire
I've never lit a match with intent to start a fire
But recently the flames are getting out of control
Call me a name
Kill me with words
Forget about me
It's what I deserve
I was your chance
To get out of this town
But I ditched the car and left you to
Wait outside
I hope the air will serve to remind you
That my heart is as cold as the clouds of your breath
And my words are as timed as the beating in my chest
Lyrics submitted by halcyondaze429
Jasey Rae Lyrics as written by Jack Bassam Barakat Alexander William Gaskarth
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Ahh Atl, you've done it again. Namely Alex though (; I'm going to have to go with the crowd and say the acoustic is absolutely perfect. Here's my take on the meaning of Jasey Rae.
Lights out I still hear the rain These images that fill my head Now keep my fingers from making mistakes Tell my voice what it takes to Speak up, speak up And keep my conscience clean when I wake
He's thinking about how he could possibly keep his conscience clean after it's all over.
Don't make this easy I want you to mean it, Jasey (Say you mean it) You're dressed to kill I'm calling you out (Don't waste your time on me)
Everyone says they're confused about the "don't make this easy, I want you to mean it Jasey, say you'll mean it" part because if it was a one night stand, why would he be saying don't make this easy? But I think what he means is he told her a lot of things that weren't true to get to her to sleep with him, and maybe he was just hoping she'd just say she knows it'll be a one night stand regardless of what he told her. Maybe he's saying "don't make this easy, I want you to mean it" because it's easy for him so hurt people, he'd maybe rather her know it's a one night stand.
Now there's an aching in my back A stabbing pain that says I lack The common sense and confidence To bring an end to promises That I make in times of desperate conversation Hoping my night Could be better than theirs in the end (Just say when)
This is pure genius. He's saying he realizes that he lacks the common sense and the confidence to not make promises of love to her to get her to sleep with him. Plus, I'm sure the whole time he was just hoping he could end up having a better time than his friends who weren't having a one night stand.
Don't make this easy I want you to mean it, Jasey (Say you mean it) You're dressed to kill I'm calling you out (Don't waste your time on me)
He's saying please mean what you say about this only being a one night stand and set aside what I'm promising you. And that she was dressed to kill that's how it all started. He was just hoping she wouldn't waste her time on him.
I've never told a lie And that makes me a liar I've never made a bet But we gamble with desire I've never lit a match With intent to start a fire But recently The flames are getting out of control
He tries to think that he must have some good in him, saying "I've never told a lie". But everytime he tries to find good he contridicts himself because he knows he lies to her, gambles with his friends about her emotions/desire and having a one night stand with her. He also says all he wanted was a one night stand, but it turned into her emotions getting involved with the sex and it got out of control.
Call me a name, kill me with words Forget about me, it's what I deserve I was your chance to get out of this town
He's saying for her to hurt him as bad as he hurt her and just forget about him. Maybe she talked about running away with him?
But I ditched the car and left you to Wait outside
He left her after the one night stand not caring.
I hope the air will serve to remind you That my heart is as cold As the clouds of your breath And my words are as timed As the beating in my chest
He's saying he tried to warn her but he promised her things because a one night stand was more important to him than her feelings and that at the time his heart was cold and unmoved by what he did, and that to get her to have sex with him his words were well rehearsed and timed.
That's my take on it. Ahh, i love ATL<3 I can listen to this song over and over again. Gahh, Alex you're gorgeous and being a dbag makes your songs 10x as beautiful. Sad, but beautiful.