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.
Long ago, I woke up early, for a job I used to love, but then one saturday morning my boss gave me the shove.
And he made it clear I was not needed anymore, he had to hire in some other guy while we were away on tour.
But a few words in his defence, there was no bullshit pretense, and it made perfect business sense, so he sent me away, I wanted to say,
"Okay, well good luck, I hope I never see you again, good luck, ye-ea-ah-ah"
There was this girl I slept with, she got inside my head, when I say slept I don't mean just sex, I mean we shared a bed.
I thought we were married, I thought we'd be okay, but then she made it clear that she didn't feel that way, she said.
"It was lovely, at the start, but there's a space inside my heart, and I think we have grown apart, so go take a hike, and I was just like....
"Alright, good luck, I hope I never see you again, cause if this is goodbye, good luck, good luck, I hope I never see you again, cause if this is goodbye-ye-ye"
"I hope that you die"
Cause if you hurt me, I will hate you, It's just as simple as that, it's not mature, and it's not progressive, that doesn't alter the fact that....
"If you hurt me, I will hate you, if you hurt me, I will erase you, I you hurt me, I will hate you, If you hurt me, I will forget you, I will forget you"
And he made it clear I was not needed anymore, he had to hire in some other guy while we were away on tour.
But a few words in his defence, there was no bullshit pretense, and it made perfect business sense, so he sent me away, I wanted to say,
"Okay, well good luck, I hope I never see you again, good luck, ye-ea-ah-ah"
There was this girl I slept with, she got inside my head, when I say slept I don't mean just sex, I mean we shared a bed.
I thought we were married, I thought we'd be okay, but then she made it clear that she didn't feel that way, she said.
"It was lovely, at the start, but there's a space inside my heart, and I think we have grown apart, so go take a hike, and I was just like....
"Alright, good luck, I hope I never see you again, cause if this is goodbye, good luck, good luck, I hope I never see you again, cause if this is goodbye-ye-ye"
"I hope that you die"
Cause if you hurt me, I will hate you, It's just as simple as that, it's not mature, and it's not progressive, that doesn't alter the fact that....
"If you hurt me, I will hate you, if you hurt me, I will erase you, I you hurt me, I will hate you, If you hurt me, I will forget you, I will forget you"
Lyrics submitted by homiesessual
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Punchline
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
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“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.
It's pretty obvious what this song is about- Taking a sort of nonchalant attitude to being hurt. Especially the second part of the song, to me is being hurt and not being self-pitying but saying "ok I'm going to hate you"
Like it says, "It's not mature and its not progressive, that doesn't alter the fact"
I love how the girl's solo is the verse which talks about her. She's got inside his head, so it's her voice singing. Pure brilliance.
Genius song. Feels good to hear one of your favourite bands make a song about the shit you go through yourself.