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.
Well every highway that I go down seems to be longer than the last one I knew about
Oh well
Every girl that I walk around seems to be more of a problem than the last one
Oh well
Every time I sit underneath the tree
I can think of things that were done to me
And every time I speak god’s name he says to me:
Little Jack you always do the same thing
Well, twenty times I said this to myself I said: Where are you going today?
And I had no answer left
Each critical thing that I can come across tells me that this thing I’m (mushing around something that
Should make us walk alone)?
Every time I sit underneath the tree
Something comes to me
I say to God I call his name
I said “what’s the problem?”
And he said “Jack, there’s nothing left for me to tell you
“There’s no answers left.”
Things just seemed a lot simpler when the only thing on my mind
Was a push-up
Coca-cola and Faygo Cream Soda; only things I ever cared about at one time but now
That’s all gone
Now my mind is filled with rubber tires
And forest fires
And people left for hire
And lots of other problems that my mind can’t comprehend
I thought it out and every time I think about it
It just comes back again
Oh well
Every girl that I walk around seems to be more of a problem than the last one
Oh well
Every time I sit underneath the tree
I can think of things that were done to me
And every time I speak god’s name he says to me:
Little Jack you always do the same thing
Well, twenty times I said this to myself I said: Where are you going today?
And I had no answer left
Each critical thing that I can come across tells me that this thing I’m (mushing around something that
Should make us walk alone)?
Every time I sit underneath the tree
Something comes to me
I say to God I call his name
I said “what’s the problem?”
And he said “Jack, there’s nothing left for me to tell you
“There’s no answers left.”
Things just seemed a lot simpler when the only thing on my mind
Was a push-up
Coca-cola and Faygo Cream Soda; only things I ever cared about at one time but now
That’s all gone
Now my mind is filled with rubber tires
And forest fires
And people left for hire
And lots of other problems that my mind can’t comprehend
I thought it out and every time I think about it
It just comes back again
Lyrics submitted by awhitestripe
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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this is the song that lead to 'Little Cream Soda'. I don't believe it was ever recorded on any record, but it was obviously recorded at some point.
wow, awesome. nice insight into jack's mind.
um... the song was recorded but only live and was the earliest version of Little Cream Soda which appeared on Icky Thump. I'm pretty sure it was first played live around the Get Behind Me Satan era...
The song is basically just kinda an insight into his mind i suppose. I see it as kind of like the price of fame and where his life is headed now. He misses only having to care about the simplest things in life and living with no worries. Now he is having all types of complications and it gets to a point where he is just confused... Every highway seems longer, everyone he meets seems to want something, and he is always on the road, sometimes having no idea where he is or where he will be going.
i think it's actually from '99 or earlier. jack said it was one of their oldest songs and he hadn't pulled it back out until recently to do a little re-working before recording.
awhitestripes: you're thinking of Bone Broke.
Ben Blackwell apparently played Jack this recording from a show a few years ago, and it became Little Cream Soda
i've only found 1 recording of this version way before icky thump. when they released the track names on thump, i was excited to see it and couldn't wait to hear how it evolved. i was surprised and a little disappointed of the icky thump recording but i came to like it, as i have every lyric by jack white. my first thoughts were that he took a lot of the God parts out to make it more palatable for the masses. i don't think he wanted to sing every time he sang it that God spoke to him. religion is such a powerful subject. some say that when man speaks to God, it's called prayer. when God speaks to man, it's often called schizophrenia. bone broke existed before thump? i've got a ton of bootleg stripes but don't have that. trade anyone?