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.
You drag your tiger's paw across
Your chapped and cracking lips
And open up a crimson slur
You spread each time you kiss
The broken boy you bargain with
To turn back to the man
That you fell in love with once
But never saw again
Is he in there? Do you think he drowned to death?
Well it's his decision to show his face again
You grind your tired teeth
And curse the day that you were born
To a sunken line of Irish wives a million miles long
Devoted to the suffering they're certain they deserve
A husband's a cross to bear
Worry lines and a silver string of hair
Come too early, come to steal your sainted youth
Well it's your decision to stay or else to move
And I'm not a man of faith, no gospel oak for me
But you wear a crucifix to broadcast your beliefs
And the god I've read about can't go where he's not asked to go
So you've got a choice to make
Shut him out, save yourself, or sit and wait
But you're waiting on a man who will not move
So you must move for him and do what he can't do
'Cause it's worth it, that's the one life you can change
And I'm sorry sister, but it has to end this way
Yeah, it's scary sister, but tomorrow's just too late
So stand up sister
There's an albatross to shake
Your chapped and cracking lips
And open up a crimson slur
You spread each time you kiss
The broken boy you bargain with
To turn back to the man
That you fell in love with once
But never saw again
Is he in there? Do you think he drowned to death?
Well it's his decision to show his face again
You grind your tired teeth
And curse the day that you were born
To a sunken line of Irish wives a million miles long
Devoted to the suffering they're certain they deserve
A husband's a cross to bear
Worry lines and a silver string of hair
Come too early, come to steal your sainted youth
Well it's your decision to stay or else to move
And I'm not a man of faith, no gospel oak for me
But you wear a crucifix to broadcast your beliefs
And the god I've read about can't go where he's not asked to go
So you've got a choice to make
Shut him out, save yourself, or sit and wait
But you're waiting on a man who will not move
So you must move for him and do what he can't do
'Cause it's worth it, that's the one life you can change
And I'm sorry sister, but it has to end this way
Yeah, it's scary sister, but tomorrow's just too late
So stand up sister
There's an albatross to shake
Lyrics submitted by hideindoors
Tomorrow's Just Too Late Lyrics as written by Kevin Patrick Devine
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
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."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
About how some people(religious irish) believe marriage is forever and that's it, even if it gets very rough and your spouse has changed. That's all, no way out. But he's telling the woman, perhaps mother, relative, or friend, to just leave or tell him to change. But, beyond it all to stand up for herself at all.