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.
Sick. I’m walking
Tick? I’m talking.
Down the street and I’m sick
Of the talk of the ‘trick’ that’s every time we meet
But.
Oh, I don’t know why
Blinking, thinking something’s moving across my skin
And I scratch the spot, I watch the dot, that’s on the lens but
Oh, I don’t know why
Something’s closing in and I can’t do a thing
No, I can’t do a thing but wonder.
You said I’m crazy, I know.
You said I’m crazy, I know
All I can say is that the drugs don’t work no more.
My face is shaking,
Knees are breaking,
“Swallow this” and for once I’m mistaken
The rules I’ve been breaking, make you sick but
Oh, I don’t know why
My mind is in an oily state of screaming sin
And the moment I want to relax is when the **** kicks in, but
Oh, I don’t know why
Now he’s back again
And now he’s brought a friend.
And his friend’s brought a whole dark army…
Tick? I’m talking.
Down the street and I’m sick
Of the talk of the ‘trick’ that’s every time we meet
But.
Oh, I don’t know why
Blinking, thinking something’s moving across my skin
And I scratch the spot, I watch the dot, that’s on the lens but
Oh, I don’t know why
Something’s closing in and I can’t do a thing
No, I can’t do a thing but wonder.
You said I’m crazy, I know.
You said I’m crazy, I know
All I can say is that the drugs don’t work no more.
My face is shaking,
Knees are breaking,
“Swallow this” and for once I’m mistaken
The rules I’ve been breaking, make you sick but
Oh, I don’t know why
My mind is in an oily state of screaming sin
And the moment I want to relax is when the **** kicks in, but
Oh, I don’t know why
Now he’s back again
And now he’s brought a friend.
And his friend’s brought a whole dark army…
Lyrics submitted by blinkguitar2
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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.
my take on this is that she is talking about a break up. but, with a twist. she's got a mental disorder. so, it's combining the above two theories. but, it makes sense. a person with a mental disorder, such as bipolar(which i do have), are more prone to take things less lightly. they may over react, and because of the break up, her mental disorder may have caused a big distress in her mind. hence, why the chorus is the way it is. her disorder got so bad, the drugs don't work anymore. so, it couldn't be contained, so he could have called her crazy because of that. wow, i actually feel smart.
This was the first song I heard by The Vincent Black Shadow, and I love it so much. Very pretty. So the song. . . This song looks like it's talking about a bad relationship resulting in her popping pills.
I somewhat agree angel. although, i must say that this song is very fun to sing. I think "fears in the water" will be a good album!
I personally think this is about her dealing with a mental illness, possibly scitzophrenia or bipolar. The words seem to describe symptoms of both, especially paranoia. Don't want to get to serious, but I am bipolar. This is a great song anyway. The beauty of lyrics is that they are open to everyone to translate.
I agree more with lithiumprincess that it has to do with a mental illness.
Blinking, thinking something’s moving across my skin I think she suffers from paranoia. When a person is paranoid, they have tendencies of having delusions.
"“Swallow this” and for once I’m mistaken" She may be in a mental asylum and the nurses make her take medication, to relax her.
I think when it says:
"Now he’s back again And now he’s brought a friend. And his friend’s brought a whole dark army…"
She may have been going crazy. So the doctor came back, with a bunch of nurses, to sedate her.
I don't know, just a thought. Awesome song though.
i feel as if this song is describing symptoms of being bipolar [i myself am bipolar]
I think that the "drugs" are a symbol of their love, and so once he starts calling her crazy, she realizes that "the drugs don't work no more"--that their love no longer suffices to cover up all of the guy's imperfections and judgements. So they break up, she goes through some withdrawal symptoms once he leaves--she didn't take their breakup very well (her face is shaking, her knees are breaking). But then the guy changes his mind, and comes back. But! When he came back, he brought a friend, which leads me to believe that either he now wants to set up his exgirlfriend with his friend, or he has some strange plans for the three of them together (which I'd rather not think about). Not really sure though where the whole dark army comes from or what that means, unless maybe it means the past, which will inevitably pull them apart again because the "drugs" will fail again. And, since the song is called metro, and the metro is the subway system in paris, I think this all must be going on in france. Which is awsome, because I love france so much. That makes me think, though, that maybe this song would be cooler if it were in french. That would mean that the chorus would be: "Tu dis que je suis fou, je sais Tu dis que je suis fou, je sais Tout que je peux parler etre que les drogues ne travaillent plus." Doesn't that sound so much cooler?!
um...its about a break-up,you can just tell when you listen,also...thats what half the other songs are about,why should this be any different,I still like it tho,makes me wanna dance
I personally think its about a prostitute on drugs. Hence 'trick', and how she says 'the rules ive been breaking' and 'my mind is in an oily state of screaming sin'
Well, what it means, really, is about the state of how everyone is on drugs. Here in Colorado we have a thing where right before a show a local radio station gets bands to play at a "Garage" and do their music accoustic, it is so awesome. When asked thats what he said he was going for. The lead singer added the love and the perscription part. The culminated to make this song. I think it rocks. TVBS rules