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'm addicted to electric pulses,
I'm addicted to electric pulses,
How?
Let's see.
All decisions crowded out by voices,
All decisions crowded out by voices, not from me.
Oh, i'm incapable, i live by habit
Oh, i'm incapable, i live by habit
consciously
Life's accountable if i don't grab it
Oh, life's accountable if i don't grab it
can't you see
Aren''t you sick of being automatic?
Don't you wanna have it your way, always?
Aren't you sick of being automatic?
Somethings wrong with me,
I'm gonna pull it out
I'm changing,
Turning corners,
This town ain't big enough for me
I'm forcing over problems
I'm stepping to the n'th degree
I'm writing diaries saying
"I can't stand it."
I'm writing diaries saying
"I can't stand it."
Openly
Coz I'm a hero of the old romantics
I'm a hero of the old romantics
Oh aren''t you sick of being automatic?
Don't you wanna have it your way, always ?
Aren't you sick of being automatic ?
Somethings wrong with me,
I'm gonna pull it out
I'm changing,
Turning corners,
This town ain't big enough for me
I'm forcing over problems
I'm stepping to the n'th degree
Oh aren't you sick of being automatic [x4]
I'm setting more examples
Than anyone'd ever dream
I'm shaking, lighting candles
I'm drawing lines no-one can see
I'm sitting oh so upright
I'm taking every second in
I'm turning off my standby
I'm crying at the state i'm in
And now i'm floating upwards
I watching everyone to see
My body bending backwards
But no ones bending over me
Oh, bending over me.
Yeah, bending over me.
Oh, bending over me.
[Bending over me]
Oh, i tried my best
I'm giving in, a conscious thing
"It's over"
All these mistakes a learning process
I resent
It's over
Now
I'm addicted to electric pulses,
How?
Let's see.
All decisions crowded out by voices,
All decisions crowded out by voices, not from me.
Oh, i'm incapable, i live by habit
Oh, i'm incapable, i live by habit
consciously
Life's accountable if i don't grab it
Oh, life's accountable if i don't grab it
can't you see
Aren''t you sick of being automatic?
Don't you wanna have it your way, always?
Aren't you sick of being automatic?
Somethings wrong with me,
I'm gonna pull it out
I'm changing,
Turning corners,
This town ain't big enough for me
I'm forcing over problems
I'm stepping to the n'th degree
I'm writing diaries saying
"I can't stand it."
I'm writing diaries saying
"I can't stand it."
Openly
Coz I'm a hero of the old romantics
I'm a hero of the old romantics
Oh aren''t you sick of being automatic?
Don't you wanna have it your way, always ?
Aren't you sick of being automatic ?
Somethings wrong with me,
I'm gonna pull it out
I'm changing,
Turning corners,
This town ain't big enough for me
I'm forcing over problems
I'm stepping to the n'th degree
Oh aren't you sick of being automatic [x4]
I'm setting more examples
Than anyone'd ever dream
I'm shaking, lighting candles
I'm drawing lines no-one can see
I'm sitting oh so upright
I'm taking every second in
I'm turning off my standby
I'm crying at the state i'm in
And now i'm floating upwards
I watching everyone to see
My body bending backwards
But no ones bending over me
Oh, bending over me.
Yeah, bending over me.
Oh, bending over me.
[Bending over me]
Oh, i tried my best
I'm giving in, a conscious thing
"It's over"
All these mistakes a learning process
I resent
It's over
Now
Lyrics submitted by our.lady.of.sorrows
Let's Lightning Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © Sentric Music
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This just hit me the other day as I was singing it nonchalantly, but, parts remind me of how it feels having an obsessive compulsive disorder.
First let's just run down the basics, one aspect of this is you feel compelled to do odd things, sort of ritually. Such as, blinking at things. Or just touching certain objects. I will explain a few lines in reference to this...
"I'm incapable, I live by habit."
Because you feel incapable to stop doing the things you do 'compulsively'. They become a habit.
"I'm writing diaries saying 'I can't stand it.' I'm writing diaries saying 'I can't stand it.'"
He can't stand having this problem....
"I'm shaking, lighting candles I'm drawing lines no-one can see."
These could be his 'rituals'.
"Aren't you sick of being automatic? Don't you want to have it your way, always? Something's wrong with me."
It feels like you 'automatically' do these things. It doesn't feel like you actually HAVE a decision to make about it, you just do them and you can't stop it.
Before the whole OCD theory, this part of the song first made me think of people who live life doing what is normal and expected of them. They just do it sort of automatically, without thinking that don't have to live like this, they can do what they want.. 'have their way'.