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.
Thinking of something blue
Much like the rain that washed away my final memory of you
And we are gathered here today in celebration of impending fate
Let the jury have their way
As callused knuckles cross my face
The stars are out
Scattered dimples in a cloudless sky
And I remember all the flashing lights and how they lit your lifeless eyes
Now the harbors sounding out
And I am calling out but please don't push me in
But please don't push me in
Dear friends
I am writing this in my defense
I never meant for this to happen
Never saw the broken glass I swear
Dear friends
I am writing this in my defense
I never meant for this to happen
Zip ties and fiber choking me
These ropes biting at my feet
Eyes wandering
And I'm wondering is this really happening to me?
Blood between my teeth
Flows from my mouth to my best jeans
On three release
I'm twenty feet and sinking fast
And I won't hold my breath
Let the water fill my lungs
And I will travel to my death
Tell my brothers that I am happy
Tell my mother I won't be visiting
As I lay my head to rest
At the bottom of the sea
Dear friends
I am writing this in my defense
I never meant for this to happen
Never saw the broken glass I swear
[x2]
Much like the rain that washed away my final memory of you
And we are gathered here today in celebration of impending fate
Let the jury have their way
As callused knuckles cross my face
The stars are out
Scattered dimples in a cloudless sky
And I remember all the flashing lights and how they lit your lifeless eyes
Now the harbors sounding out
And I am calling out but please don't push me in
But please don't push me in
Dear friends
I am writing this in my defense
I never meant for this to happen
Never saw the broken glass I swear
Dear friends
I am writing this in my defense
I never meant for this to happen
Zip ties and fiber choking me
These ropes biting at my feet
Eyes wandering
And I'm wondering is this really happening to me?
Blood between my teeth
Flows from my mouth to my best jeans
On three release
I'm twenty feet and sinking fast
And I won't hold my breath
Let the water fill my lungs
And I will travel to my death
Tell my brothers that I am happy
Tell my mother I won't be visiting
As I lay my head to rest
At the bottom of the sea
Dear friends
I am writing this in my defense
I never meant for this to happen
Never saw the broken glass I swear
[x2]
Lyrics submitted by your-my-starr, edited by LimeNinja
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It's a death told from the end, first the funeral- his own funeral that his ghost or whatever is at..
"The stars are out/ Scattered dimples in a cloudless sky/And I remember all the flashing lights and how they lit your lifeless eyes" ^ This is confusing, maybe he was looking back at him self after he was dead, or maybe another friend died as well.
The chorus is him saying sorry, he didn't want to cause his family and friends pain. Maybe he feels responsible for someone elses death too, thats never really clear.
The part about the zip ties and fiber, he's getting taken to the hospital and is in kind of a daze. Then next you see the cause of it, it could be suicide but then maybe not.
So see, its told like it was rewound, the funeral, the hospital, the cause.
Loved it...
I slightly agree with "your-my-starr" on some levels. I have a couple differnt ideas for this song. Two friends. An accident occured, one died, and the other, still living, is the narrator/singer of the song. The accident I keep thinking is a car because..hey, that's the most obvious kind of fatal accident but with the line "I never saw the broken glass" it could be the friend commited suicide and the singer feels responsible for not seeing the signs. Then, the singer himself dies..whether from committing suicide as well (though to me that doesn't seem very likely) but by another way (more likely) and even in death, still feels responsible for the friends death. If you think about it further, someone might have even killed the singer as revenge for the first death...hints are "as callused knuckles cross my face" as well as "Zip ties and fiber choking me These ropes biting at my feet Eyes wandering And I'm wondering is this really happening to me? Blood between my teeth Flows from my mouth to my best jeans"
Zip ties and fiber---some sort of bag he was stuffed in Ropes biting---tied up Eyes wandering---looking for escape(another hint it wasn't suicide) Wondering....---yet another hint it wasn't suicide... Blood......jeans---shows, with the "knuckles" line he may have been beaten up.
But then these lines make me think twice: " Unfree release I'm twenty feet and sinking fast And I won't hold my breath Let the water fill my lungs And I will travel to my death Tell my brothers that I am happy Tell my mother I won't be visiting As I lay my head to rest At the bottom of the sea"
It seems he either accepted his death and since he has such a sense of guilt he secretly welcomes it...especially with "unfree release' showing he's being set free of the guilt, yet he's still physically tied up.
Or he really did just commit suicide out of his intense guilt.
Yet, these are the most literal interpretations I could think of...I could be completely off point. But what I love about this song is how beautiful it is, even without analyzing it. The song itself is amazing..and the fact it has such open room for interpretation shows it is, truly special.
Just to clearify, I bought the album. I met the band. The correct lyrics are:
ON THREE release
instead of "unfree release"
i love this song, and it is on three release, they are throwing him to sink to the bottom of the ocean. so amazing.
I believe this song is about a car accident in which he killed his girlfriend. The line "I never saw the broken glass I swear" refers to the glass that popped the tire killing his girlfriend. Then the rest of the song is how he can't live without her so he kills himself.
Whatever the meaning, this is an amazing song
I think the guy the song is about was being thrown in against his will. "Zip Ties and fibers choking me These ropes biting at my feet" Why, let alone how, would he tie himself up? "Blood between my teeth" They probably beat him.
It's simple, It's about Suicide. "I'm 20 feet and sinking fast, and I wont hold my breath, let the water fill my lungs, and I will travel to my death." He drowned himself. or "Zip ties, fiber choking me." He hung himself. What I was thinking was that he hurt someone. Or maybe someone died. and he thought it was his fault. So to "Releave the pain, he killed himself... Isn't it obvious.?