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.
The sideways man walks on his hands,
Can't keep from dragging his feet and when he tries,
I try,
They twist his arms to get a head start,
Tycoons love hitting the jackpot,
To get back what they've lost,
He'd have to raise the bar,
The desert heat left us all in the dark,
They buried the sun so I carried the torch,
Head over heels with eyes on the prize,
I settled for less and it's more than enough,
Just say when,
Truth be told,
I'd rather be sold than juggle stepping stones,
But when he tries,
I try,
They all take part to get a head start,
Big wigs love hitting the jackpot,
Taking all the cheap shots,
The referee was wrong,
The way they left us all in the dark,
They buried the sun so I carried the torch,
The way they left their eyes on the prize,
I've settled for less and it's more than enough,
Just say when.
The way they left us all in the dark,
Head over heels, but it's never enough,
Just say when.
Can't keep from dragging his feet and when he tries,
I try,
They twist his arms to get a head start,
Tycoons love hitting the jackpot,
To get back what they've lost,
He'd have to raise the bar,
The desert heat left us all in the dark,
They buried the sun so I carried the torch,
Head over heels with eyes on the prize,
I settled for less and it's more than enough,
Just say when,
Truth be told,
I'd rather be sold than juggle stepping stones,
But when he tries,
I try,
They all take part to get a head start,
Big wigs love hitting the jackpot,
Taking all the cheap shots,
The referee was wrong,
The way they left us all in the dark,
They buried the sun so I carried the torch,
The way they left their eyes on the prize,
I've settled for less and it's more than enough,
Just say when.
The way they left us all in the dark,
Head over heels, but it's never enough,
Just say when.
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
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
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.