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.
Lucky are the leaves of the clover.
She's diggin' for chemistry with the butcher's tools.
Shifty are the eyes of the gambler.
The sand is a ricochet.
Taste my grit?
Through the motions and waving wishes to your confidence and eloquence.
He's turning a-green from these envious glorious things.
Applied ambitious faith that can keep us all safe.
Invoking a blue that's meant for us too.
What large amazing things that we'll turn into rain.
Lucky are those one headed car lights.
Those two are as thick as thieves, not a penny more.
Shaky on a cold wetted statue.
I'm digging for pattern leaks on unleaded fuel.
Gather 'round, hold your glasses up high.
Drink to love while we wait for high tide.
Keep it short, keep it brief,
You have my word.
Gather round while we wait for high tide.
She's diggin' for chemistry with the butcher's tools.
Shifty are the eyes of the gambler.
The sand is a ricochet.
Taste my grit?
Through the motions and waving wishes to your confidence and eloquence.
He's turning a-green from these envious glorious things.
Applied ambitious faith that can keep us all safe.
Invoking a blue that's meant for us too.
What large amazing things that we'll turn into rain.
Lucky are those one headed car lights.
Those two are as thick as thieves, not a penny more.
Shaky on a cold wetted statue.
I'm digging for pattern leaks on unleaded fuel.
Gather 'round, hold your glasses up high.
Drink to love while we wait for high tide.
Keep it short, keep it brief,
You have my word.
Gather round while we wait for high tide.
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think this is a love song also, but I think you are way off the mark, audiotrance.
"Lucky are the leaves of the clover" seems more like a reference to the 'he loves me, he loves me not game' that naive little girls play. "She's digging for chemistry with a butcher's tools" because she is in love with him and desperate for him to feel the same.
Unfortunately, he is a gambler (i.e. a player). He has used his tricks to acquire her, and he congratulates himself for "a job well done".
the "motions waving wishes to your confidence and eloquence" refers to the previous verse. He would not have been as interested in her, or as confident about gaining her love, had he not had an audience. His ability to ensnare her in love has turned him a-green and envious of greater glory. The "applied ambitious faith that can keep us all safe" is his distorted concept of love: if he were to allow himself to be as ensnared by her as she is by him, then he would be weak and unsafe. It's this ambition that keeps him distant in his relationships. I don't know what "invoking a blue" means, but I do know that what is "meant for us too" is the show. And, indeed, it is a show. He must have all those he actually respects know that he has captured a heart and has every intention to turn it to rain, or destroy it. Or one could say that it is the audience that ruins the relationship. If it hadn't been for us, perhaps he would have opened up to her. Perhaps it is our own vicarious viciousness that has brought this horrible fate to a poor unsuspecting girl.
"Lucky is a deer in the headlights", for she has no idea yet what is about to happen: he will let her know just how unimportant he thinks she is. But why is she lucky? She is lucky because she is honest with herself, and he is not. "Those two are as thick as thieves," because neither of them really knows what is going on. They are in love, and yet they are about to ruin each other. "Shaky are the hands of the gunshy, he'd rather give up the ghost than stick by" -- The fact that he is gunshy shows that he is starting to realize that he loves her, but he still won't admit it to himself, so he'd rather give up the ghost (i.e. terminate the relationship) than admit to himself and to his friends that he has become vulnerable to her.
So what will happen? Darroh doesn't tell us. And it's not important how the relationship winds up (whether he chooses to be a conqueror or a lover). What is important is we who have witnessed they whole thing. It's about to happen, so "gather 'round while we wait for high tide." We'll all "drink to love", but at the same time, we know that it is we who have ruined these two lovers. We have turned these small amazing things to rain, and now we have caused so much rain that it is high-tide. We observe the destruction we have brought about.
Or maybe the love will win him over we'll be disappointed. Either way, we watch greedily.