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.
I stopped into a club
I thought I'd see a show
Everyone was there
At least everyone I know
Their knickers in a knot
Their hands upon their heart
The best they'd ever seen
The greatest work of art
I wished that it was me
It's bleaker than you think
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
A party at a friend's
Toronto's coolest scene
I thought I'd bring a tape
To show them where I'd been
And listen for a while
The lyrics made them smile
They said that it was fine
Although it's not the style
I said it wasn't me
Once upon a time
I couldn't get enough
Until I made it big
And that's when it got rough
Disappointed now
Perhaps a bit surprised
To look them in the face
And see it in their eyes
They wish it wasn't me
It's bleaker than you think
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
I used to hold you close
You used to tell me things
You never told a soul
Until you heard me sing
The details of your life
Condensed into a song
The neighbor and his wife
Work out and sing along
And you can't look at me
It's bleaker than you think
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
Could song be an alibi
A lyric replacement for falling in love
But now that the well is dry
I can't understand what I've been singing of
Do you know what it is to love?
To really love?
To really love.
Do I?
I cycled by your house
I saw you on the lawn
I see you all the time
Now that you are gone
I tried to call your name
But something made me stop
I call you once a day
Until you call the cops
And told them it was me
I filled a plastic bag
With everything I wrote
I threw it off a bridge
And thought that it would float.
The water made it sink
The bag was bleeding ink.
I wished that I could swim
I wished that I could drink
I wished that it was me.
It's bleaker than you think
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
To drive a man to drink
To drive a man to drink
I thought I'd see a show
Everyone was there
At least everyone I know
Their knickers in a knot
Their hands upon their heart
The best they'd ever seen
The greatest work of art
I wished that it was me
It's bleaker than you think
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
A party at a friend's
Toronto's coolest scene
I thought I'd bring a tape
To show them where I'd been
And listen for a while
The lyrics made them smile
They said that it was fine
Although it's not the style
I said it wasn't me
Once upon a time
I couldn't get enough
Until I made it big
And that's when it got rough
Disappointed now
Perhaps a bit surprised
To look them in the face
And see it in their eyes
They wish it wasn't me
It's bleaker than you think
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
I used to hold you close
You used to tell me things
You never told a soul
Until you heard me sing
The details of your life
Condensed into a song
The neighbor and his wife
Work out and sing along
And you can't look at me
It's bleaker than you think
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
Could song be an alibi
A lyric replacement for falling in love
But now that the well is dry
I can't understand what I've been singing of
Do you know what it is to love?
To really love?
To really love.
Do I?
I cycled by your house
I saw you on the lawn
I see you all the time
Now that you are gone
I tried to call your name
But something made me stop
I call you once a day
Until you call the cops
And told them it was me
I filled a plastic bag
With everything I wrote
I threw it off a bridge
And thought that it would float.
The water made it sink
The bag was bleeding ink.
I wished that I could swim
I wished that I could drink
I wished that it was me.
It's bleaker than you think
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
I'm running out of ink
Give a guy a break
This is what it takes
To drive a man to drink
To drive a man to drink
To drive a man to drink
Lyrics submitted by foldsbaldwin
Running Out of Ink Lyrics as written by Steven Page Ed Robertson
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I like it when Tyler says "I quit" at the beginning, though it's kind of random.
It would have been sheer irony had it been Steve saying "I Quit" considering what happened the following year.