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.
There's a crowd talking loud but they ain't saying nothing
Slow and stale weak and pale while we're running and laughing
Cause there's something else something bright and pure something that you've never felt before
Something you can't touch something you can't see you just don't belive
Don't you die yet first class riot
You can't buy it first class riot
You don't know where to go still you point out directions
Black and white so uptight while we run for perfection
Cause there's something else something bright and pure something that you've never felt before
Something you can't touch something you can't see you just don't believe
Don't you die yet first class riot
You can't buy it first class riot..
Slow and stale weak and pale while we're running and laughing
Cause there's something else something bright and pure something that you've never felt before
Something you can't touch something you can't see you just don't belive
Don't you die yet first class riot
You can't buy it first class riot
You don't know where to go still you point out directions
Black and white so uptight while we run for perfection
Cause there's something else something bright and pure something that you've never felt before
Something you can't touch something you can't see you just don't believe
Don't you die yet first class riot
You can't buy it first class riot..
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
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.
From the interview with email correspondance with Pitchfork, it seems like the 'something' that they seem to be searching for is the real thing. They're trying to find something real. And I think the first class riot is a reference to where they grew up - where there was no real things, only facades. pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/47678-interview-the-tough-alliance%20Their
to me, anyway, the song is about the reason to struggle through the inanity or bleakness or something of living. im not too sure what first class riot means. mebe living in extreme? the sound effects in this song are addicting.
I'm pretty sure the song is about the universal struggle for happiness/acceptance and some people are content to play roles, ridicule others for little gaffes, and generally force each other into a developmental paralysis in which the only actions that can be made have to be planned and calculated and tested. Cf. "There's a crowd talking loud but they ain't saying nothing/slow and stale weak and pale while we're running and laughing" And they always need to justify their lives so they always act like they know what they're doing cf. "you don't know where to go still you point out directions" so they as a result kind of have to be few and far between.
But The Tough Alliance is more about action, making a move in a direction, not necessarily pretending they know what they're doing, because they know that quantity is more important than quality and leads to it anyway. And when they do this they experience "something else something bright and pure/something that you've never felt before/something you can't touch something you can't see you just don't believe"
"so they as a result kind of have to be few and far between."<br /> <br /> By they I meant their actions.
what are they saying in that part towards the end..
"Start it in June"?