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.
How many years have we waited
For a ship that never set sail?
And how many days have we wasted
Chasing a love that was not our own?
I sat ashore and watched
As one hopeless wave crashed upon another
While my thoughts ran to the hills
My heart never reached the sea
With only delusions of an endless journey
I am left with an ocean between you and me
Is this your salvation?
Is this all you can give?
I will not stand in reflection
Of someone else's dream
The gate to my heart has been weld shut
With the splendor of my aspirations closed in
How many years have we waited
For a ship that never set sail?
And how many days have we wasted
Chasing a love that was not our own?
Is this your salvation?
Is this all you can give?
I will not stand in reflection
Of someone else's dream
For a ship that never set sail?
And how many days have we wasted
Chasing a love that was not our own?
I sat ashore and watched
As one hopeless wave crashed upon another
While my thoughts ran to the hills
My heart never reached the sea
With only delusions of an endless journey
I am left with an ocean between you and me
Is this your salvation?
Is this all you can give?
I will not stand in reflection
Of someone else's dream
The gate to my heart has been weld shut
With the splendor of my aspirations closed in
How many years have we waited
For a ship that never set sail?
And how many days have we wasted
Chasing a love that was not our own?
Is this your salvation?
Is this all you can give?
I will not stand in reflection
Of someone else's dream
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i think that they are talking about like ....
when they say ...
"how many years have we waited for a ship that never set sail? and how many days have we wasted chasing a love that was not our own?"
like false hopes and dreams that people put into idols and money and material things that will never satisfy you once you pass. being Christians and knowing one of the band members personally, i know they are sad to see how people are so caught up in the false things that this world can never give us like God will give us.
and when it says ...
"is this your salvation ?"
they are saying ... is this world really what you think is going to save you and make you a happy person.
i dont want to get to deep into it , but those are some of my thoughts :)
i'm thinking along the same lines as you i think..<br /> <br /> is this your salvation?<br /> is this all you can give?<br /> i will not stand in reflection<br /> of someone else’s dream<br /> <br /> i think he's talking about other peoples' aspirations/dreams.. is this what saves you from meaninglessness? is this what gets you through life? is this what gives you meaning? is this your salvation?<br /> is this way that you live your life, seeing as it's the influence you have on how other people live their life.. what you pass to other people through your influence.. is this all you can give?<br /> I will not live like you. I will not take on your dreams, your aspirations, your gods as my own. I will not base my existence on the way other people live their lives. I will not stand in reflection of someone else's dream.
@AILDfan19 Meanwhile, they have about 1,000x as much money as the average person...
@AILDfan19 I'm tired of the people who claim to "know one of the band members", just to lend credibility to their interpretation.<br /> <br /> Also, I hate (yet find hilarious) how people kept screaming about how this band is "Christian", right up until Lambesis got convicted of trying to have his wife killed. After that, the scumbag Christians insisted Lambesis was actually an atheist! Oh the stupidity...
i think this song is about how he and the band feels about how there goals and the goals of other bands/people differ. Its about what really matters in life. He feels like there is an ocean between him and the other people /bands in terms of meaning and purpose.
I interpret this song as someone realizing they've been waiting and waiting for something to happen and finally deciding that this isn't what they are supposed to be doing and deciding to move on.
I think it applies more to your life purpose in general but it is interesting to think about in terms of a relationship:
"how many years have we waited for a ship that never set sail? and how many days have we wasted chasing a love that was not our own?"
KICKASS SONG!!! KICKASS BAND!!! i think the song is about a girl that he loves but she doesn't have any feelings back & he now knows that she will never feel the same so he has to let her go. i know AILD are a christian band & most of their songs are about god but they are men & men do have relationships with woman & men do suffer heartache :(
this song is about a relationship.the ship that never set sail=the relationship that never happened.the hopeless waves=all the times he/she tried but failed.the ocean between them just represents there differences.one loves the other person wile the other person can't decide if he/she wants to commit.The one person is sick of waiting and has to realize,let go and move on
I know that AILD was considered to be a "Christian band", but I don't care. The song means what it means to me. And I think this song is a rejection of Christianity.
Besides, the minute Lambesis was accused of attempting to hire someone to kill his wife, Christians happily started claiming he was an atheist. Lambesis himself supposedly admitted to being an atheist for many years. So, wouldn't it have been convenient and amusing to write a song decrying a religion, given that you can deny it if someone calls you on it?
Anyway, here's my interpretation, which I deem just as solid as any other, and much more solid than most:
It has been 2,000 years, and where is the second coming of Jesus?
A reference to wasting time on a nonexistent God.
This refers to life after death as a delusion
This refers to the gap between himself and the nonexistent God as an ocean.
God doesn't do anything; gives nothing.
He's saying he won't waste any more of his time on the religious delusions of others.
@despondent Yes,sad but thats excatly what i took from this.
I'm not Christian myself but I respect the fact that they send a message that isn't meant to be thrown down peoples throats, but can be seen and interpreted by many points of view as seen throughout the new album. The CD is absolutely amazing, very brutal, very intense just as hard if not harder than previous albums and definitely not disappointing. "Departed" is the best guitar tapping, hammer-on, pull-off session I EVER heard imho.
i like walnuts1 view on it, actually i think that is pretty spot on, i was listening to it thinking perhaps it was talking about how he was an ocean between sin, and perhaps he wouldn't stand in the dream of sin, but walnuts1 interpretation is much better haha.
"how many years have we waited for a ship that never set sail? and how many days have we wasted chasing a love that was not our own?" -------- Pursuing the relationship.
"i sat ashore and watched as one hopeless wave crashed upon another while my thoughts ran to the highest hills my heart never reached the sea with only delusions of an endless journey" --------- Nothing happens.
"i am left with an ocean between you and me" ------ There is still a distance between them.
"is this your salvation? is this all you can give?" ------ Is friendship as much as you can give me?
"i will not stand in reflection of someone else’s dream" ------ Being with you was my dream, but I need to let go because that dream belongs to someone else.
Erf... why does a friend give you the salvation?!
Salvation is given by God! I think that AILD, with these sentences "is this your salvation? is this all you can give?" They wonder about what is doing 'em different of the other bands. The salvation they received, what God give'em, it's these things that give a reason to their lifes and make a difference (so big for a difference) between 'em and the others.
They preach the message of God, so they won't stay on a reflexion about the illusions of anyone else, but they'll live the christian truth, their truth.