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.
Stop joking around
For one minute
I'd rather cry right now
And play the sad notes on
The piano
Let the rest of the band go home
'Cause I'll need you
Until the morning
Please be here
Until the morning
Hold my hand
Until the morning
Brings the light of day
To our eyes
And smell the burning leaves
In autumn driveways
We'll be out on the road
'Til way past supper
And leave the lamp lit low
Beside the window
If you can mop up a waterfall
'Cause I'll need you
Until the morning
Please be here
Until the morning
Hold my hand
Until the morning
Brings the light of day
To our eyes
Just hop a train
You hate to fly
Come see the picture of my eyes
You want to laugh
I want to cry
Cry cry cry
Please be here
Until the morning
Hold my hand
Until the morning
Chase my fate
Into your promised land
Please be here
Eye-e-eye-e-eye-e-eyes
For one minute
I'd rather cry right now
And play the sad notes on
The piano
Let the rest of the band go home
'Cause I'll need you
Until the morning
Please be here
Until the morning
Hold my hand
Until the morning
Brings the light of day
To our eyes
And smell the burning leaves
In autumn driveways
We'll be out on the road
'Til way past supper
And leave the lamp lit low
Beside the window
If you can mop up a waterfall
'Cause I'll need you
Until the morning
Please be here
Until the morning
Hold my hand
Until the morning
Brings the light of day
To our eyes
Just hop a train
You hate to fly
Come see the picture of my eyes
You want to laugh
I want to cry
Cry cry cry
Please be here
Until the morning
Hold my hand
Until the morning
Chase my fate
Into your promised land
Please be here
Eye-e-eye-e-eye-e-eyes
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I feel like this song is about losing someone and wishing you could have that person back. The chorus of:
"Please be here until the morning Hold my hand until the morning "
leads me to believe that the person gone was someone that the singer held onto as a rock, like a friend, family member, or significant other. He also seems to be somewhat wallowing in his sadness since he'd rather "play those sad notes on the piano" and "let the rest of the band go home," indicating that he wants to be left alone to deal with the loss.
When he says:
"And smell the burning leaves in autumn driveways We'll be out on the road to way past supper And leave the lamp lit low beside the window If you can mop up a waterfall"
he appears to be either remembering some fond memories with that person or fantasizing what they would do if that person came back...kind of makes me think that the person is dead or he doesn't have any way to contact/meet up with the person.
The last section:
"Till you promise life Please be here"
seems like either the person left of his own volition or, to take a bit more drastic/pessimistic viewpoint, committed suicide (which is why he says "till you promise life."
At any rate the tone is yearning and full of wishes for the past or for things to be better. Sad.
this is one of those songs that sounds happy and beautiful, but still somehow pretty much breaks your heart. I have nothing that sad to relate to it (except a good friend of mine who loved it moving away), and it still makes me cry all the time.
it makes me sick to my stomach how much I love this song. ♥
This is such a gorgeous song... was used in season 4 of scrubs. I want to marry this song.
I am somewhat ashamed to admit that this song made me cry, because they played it at the end of the episode of Scrubs where J.D. (Zach Braff) found out his dad (John Ritter) died. of course, this was after the deaths of both John Ritter and MY father :[
anyway, it's a pretty good song.
i love this song...