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.
So the sun has been going down earlier
But my days just keep getting longer
Through the noise, hanging for inspiration
My eyes getting wider but still
None of my questions have answers yet
But I'm not deterred from asking them
I'll celebrate unaccompanied
Discouraged or not
It's comforting to hear
But then there's other agendas coming into play
Distractions, keeping us away
From the untainted face of expression
Disturbing the music's directions
Through the noise, hanging for inspiration
My eyes getting wider but still
None of my questions have answers yet
But I'm not deterred from asking them
I'll celebrate unaccompanied
Discouraged or not
Would you turn it up so I can hear?
'cause it's reassuring when I can hear it
Distractions can't keep us away
Hanging for inspiration
Distractions can't keep us away
But my days just keep getting longer
Through the noise, hanging for inspiration
My eyes getting wider but still
None of my questions have answers yet
But I'm not deterred from asking them
I'll celebrate unaccompanied
Discouraged or not
It's comforting to hear
But then there's other agendas coming into play
Distractions, keeping us away
From the untainted face of expression
Disturbing the music's directions
Through the noise, hanging for inspiration
My eyes getting wider but still
None of my questions have answers yet
But I'm not deterred from asking them
I'll celebrate unaccompanied
Discouraged or not
Would you turn it up so I can hear?
'cause it's reassuring when I can hear it
Distractions can't keep us away
Hanging for inspiration
Distractions can't keep us away
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
The song's about how third parties (could be record labels or trends) are negatively influencing the message of a lot of music, and how the writer has to wade through a lot of 'noise' to find inspirational music. He's waiting and waiting for it to appear, and when it finally does, it's reassuring; there's still real music with a trend-free message to reassure and guide those looking for answers.
Hmmm... I assume that this song is, as the name denotes, about standardized industrial working conditions in 3rd world countries. The first sentence to me seems like telling about the unbearable labor time for workers in sweatshops, they´re "hanging for inspiration" could mean, they wait for a good cause to survive this (Does "hanging" in this case mean "waiting"? I am an Austrian, english is not my native language lol) Distraction keeps us away from the truth behind something. In this case distraction could be advertisement, take NIKE shoes as an examble. They tell you about how trendy, sportive and wonderfull the shoe is but not about the expoitation of the workers in the maquiladora factories. "Would you turn it up (the advertising) so I can hear? 'Cause it's reassuring when I can hear it (It only reminds me of the good aspects, not of the cruel truth behind it)
But i´ve got to admid that the comment of distill also sounds very confident! Maybe the song includes both ideas - Only good knows what the writer thought when he wrote this song.
no comments yet? fucking awesome song. my favorite off the new album.
It's funny, yours is the third comment I've seen on three different Broadcasting... songs that says "my favorite off the new album" noting the lack of comments. Tells you something about how great the new album is.