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.
Beautiful calm driving, deep sea pearl diving
Constantly unwinding, beautiful calm driving
You turned into another
You turned into nutter
You turned into another man
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger
To me
Beautiful calm driving, emotional hiding
Effortlessly shining, beautiful calm driving
You turned into another
You turned into nutter
You turned into another man
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
Beautiful calm driving
Constantly unwinding, beautiful calm driving
You turned into another
You turned into nutter
You turned into another man
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger
To me
Beautiful calm driving, emotional hiding
Effortlessly shining, beautiful calm driving
You turned into another
You turned into nutter
You turned into another man
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
You're a stranger to me
You're a danger to me
Beautiful calm driving
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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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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I always thought this song was about a hurting relationship.
For me the "driving" represents the relationship. And as this drive goes on, one of the partner (the boy) turns not to be the promissing kind person he first appears to be.
As for the "calm" it represents the slowly way he turned into "another", a "nutter", a "stranger" and a "danger". (related to the parallel I make below)
At last the "beautiful" is for the way the girl is still hooked on the disappointing man she fell in love with. She is hurt but still find him beautiful. Like she is sedated by her feeling. Unable of doing anything but complaining. At first we could think that the song is a cry of rage, but the rythm of the song reveals it's a lamentation song. She feels already trapped, unable to flee (but does she really want to get away from him ?)
I love the first line : the parallel between 'driving" and "diving". I understand it by the image of a girl drowning in a relation, overwhelmed by her feelings. As the differents decompressions stops in diving, she went through many stages that lead her in the situation she feels trapped in today. It was "calm", painless, like she has been sedated step by step. The boy kind of cast a spell on her, now she is suffering but it still feel beautiful, enchanted.
"unwinding" : he slowly reveals his true core. "effortlessly shining" : he cast a spell on every one who puts an eye on him, he is very charming.
PS : forgive me for the way I write, I'm french :P
@Kraven <br /> It's was a beautiful beautiful explanation, I can't explain how much I'm thankful to you, you touched the soul of the song, wish I could know more about you as a person.<br /> God bless you ????
I am my true self when driving. And I don't drive well. I'm aggressive and vengeful. (Sorry, fellow New England drivers.... but screw you should you encounter me). I jest... mostly.
I think this song has the singer recognizing the inner truth of a her partner and rationalizing ... perhaps for her safety, or the sake of the relationship.
The truth is there, in the under current. My rational self will tell whatever truth is necessary to survive. You have "Beautiful Calm Driving" but I know the truth.
Wow, I'd never looked at the lyrics before...much more to this song than I first thought! I agree about the driving/reflection thing, and I think she's trying to get over someone or weigh up her options with someone...
It's about thinking you 'know' someone.. Suddenly he scares the shit out of you and you realize you don't know him it all, he becomes a stranger. Also a danger. So you drive away with grace: beautiful calm driving.
This song was written by Sia for her Dad. It's literally about getting him to calm himself when driving. I know this as I asked Sia personally on a live chat as it's one if my favourite songs by her.
personally, i think this song is about going for a drive, to get away and having a chance to think about things, and possibly reflect on problems in your life.
"beautiful calm driving
deep sea pearl diving
constantly unwinding"
These all seem to be examples of notions of wanting to focus on something else.
Obviously, she refers to the thoughts she is trying to escape when she talks about the person being a "nutter, stranger, another man, a danger"
Also,"emotional hiding" and "effortlessly shining" refers to the driving letting you get away, and think about your problems, but also continue to hide them away from everyone else. And "shining" describes the appeal this has.
It cannot be overlooked though that "driving" can be a metaphor for alot of other things, in which she could find 'beauty' or appeal for getting away.
Most of the time..going for a long drive to no where is my only escape. It's nice to have a perfect song for those times.
The first bars of the song have a striking resemblance to Hotel California by the Eagles in my opinion :)
Well part of the song makes me think she's driving with someone and now they've gone a little kooky (from a fight, disagreement, etc) and is driving very uncalm and dangerously. Might just be me though.
I've always thought of this lyric as being about sex. The 'beautiful calm driving' is sex and the 'deep sea pearl diving' is oral sex from her boyfriend (did no one pick up on that phrase ?) and the 'constantly unwinding' is way the sex is panning out -what's next ? However when he is having sex with her he is 'another man' not the guy she knows but unpredictable ... in fact a bit of a nutter. He is a stranger and a 'danger' - she doesn't quite know what he is going to do ,(although she isnt in any danger) He is lost in another personality she doesnt know.I suppose you could say he is a bit animal. In the second verse he doesnt give much away during sex (she cant quite suss out what he is about ) -'emotional hiding' but even so when they have sex he does it very well 'effortlessly shining'.
So there you have it. No doubt this will be a bit obtuse for some. Anyway its a fabulous song.... definitely one of my desert island songs.