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.
Oh, the razor in your apple
The affection of your glove
The prison of your company
The snake oil of your love
The heights to which you drag me
Just to hurl your scorn
The trumpets play the livelong day
But they blow so forlorn
Did you hold the hand that held me down?
Did you laugh at my expense?
When there's rust upon your ragged crown
Who will stand at your defense?
And when I unveiled my weakness
On your rodeo of tears
You stood there so vacantly
Your fingers in your ears
And you left by the morning
With all that's left to steal
But every time you say farewell
There's breadcrumbs at your heels
Did you kiss the hand that held me down?
Was your kindness just pretense?
When there's no one left for you to clown
Who will stand at your defense?
But it's ashes, Lord, it's ashes
Soon we all fall down
You take your place among the saints
Make not a single sound
And the hills that held our childhood
The flowers grow there still
You lay beneath them, pushing weeds
And I guess you always will
Could you be the hand that held me down?
When I was sick with common sense
And now your statuettes are all torn down
There's no one left to lean against
And ever since your epitaph
Was spattered on my wall
No one comes to call
They can't stand the stench
But I still sing your praises
Every time the curtain calls
The burden on me falls
Yeah, I alone stand at your defense
The affection of your glove
The prison of your company
The snake oil of your love
The heights to which you drag me
Just to hurl your scorn
The trumpets play the livelong day
But they blow so forlorn
Did you hold the hand that held me down?
Did you laugh at my expense?
When there's rust upon your ragged crown
Who will stand at your defense?
And when I unveiled my weakness
On your rodeo of tears
You stood there so vacantly
Your fingers in your ears
And you left by the morning
With all that's left to steal
But every time you say farewell
There's breadcrumbs at your heels
Did you kiss the hand that held me down?
Was your kindness just pretense?
When there's no one left for you to clown
Who will stand at your defense?
But it's ashes, Lord, it's ashes
Soon we all fall down
You take your place among the saints
Make not a single sound
And the hills that held our childhood
The flowers grow there still
You lay beneath them, pushing weeds
And I guess you always will
Could you be the hand that held me down?
When I was sick with common sense
And now your statuettes are all torn down
There's no one left to lean against
And ever since your epitaph
Was spattered on my wall
No one comes to call
They can't stand the stench
But I still sing your praises
Every time the curtain calls
The burden on me falls
Yeah, I alone stand at your defense
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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 one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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,
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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.
ok... no...
The song is about being in a bad relationship but still being in love with the person you know is bad for you. He's admitting it was his hand (his own fault) that kept him down, but she was encouraging it. And still he's the one that defends her if anyone beings up how bad she was for him.
I think the point of a site called SongMeanings.net, would be to discuss the meaning of songs and not just tell people to buy an album. haha BUT oh well, you're a Two Gallants fan and that's all that really matters.
Anyway, I think this song is obviously about somebody who puts others down to make themselves feel better.
I love the line, "and now your statuettes are all torn down. There's no-one left for you to lean against"
ckad79, you didn't get the 'what does this song mean to you?' part? but I agree with you, I think this song is about realizing that someone you would have done anything for, spended his/hers time holding you down - and 'enjoying' it
To me the lyrics seem to be talking about a bad relationship that ended with suicide. The first two verses are talking about the relationship, the second two sound like suicide.
"And on the hills that held our childhood the flowers grow there still You lay beneath them pushing weeds and I guess you always will" Pushing flowers up means dead/burried in the ground.. "weeds" used in this case seems to say he's angry about it.
"And ever since you epitaph was spattered on my wall No-one comes to call They can't stand the stench"
i think it's more about a friendship than a relationship. the words don't seem like they were hurt by a girlfriend, it seems like they were let down by someone they truly considered a friend. i could analyze this song until the end of time, i think the lyrics are really powerful and thought-provoking. two gallants definitely win my best lyrics award.
I think that, in the simplest of terms, it's about thinking someone's a lot better for you than you are. To me, it's about the moment you realize when someone, whether a friend or a lover, has actually been unhealthy for you; i.e. "the hand that held me down." The metaphor of "did you kiss the hand that held me down?" signifies that the person he speaks of had a greater hand in his emotional downfall/the disintegration of the relationship than he had realized at the time.
I think it's about someone being under the spell of another person, "The Hand" that held the person down. The singer believes that he will eventually come to his senses and realize that he needs to break free but, sadly, stands at her (I'm guessing it's a girl) side when no one else will.
alternate lyrics from live version; youtube.com/watch
The hollow of the evening, the flicker of your love the shadow of your bedside lamp outshines the stars above the heights to which you drag me, just to hurl your scorn the trumpets play the livelong day, but they blow so forlorn
do you hold the hand that held me down? is your kindness just pretense? when you stumble on your last go-round who will come to your defense?
among your pigs and cowards, i take my daily meal you said farewell so tastelessly with breadcrumbs at your heels and i've unveiled my weakness on your rodeo of tears and you hum under your breath, pretending not to hear
did you kiss the hand that held me down? was your kindness just pretense? and when there's dust upon your ragged crown who will stand at your defense?
when i come back from this evening, to the flicker of your love and madness from the hearts you claim as though you come for love (??? unsure about this) and you watch me come for miles, from your white ivory tower i've been around your every house, i come back every hour
could you be the hand that held me down? when i'm sick with common sense when your lowliness wants me around when I (??? can't make this out)
and ever since your epitaph was splattered on my wall no-one comes to call, they can't stand the stench but i still sing your praises every time the curtain calls I alone will stand at your defense.
I agree with ElegantMule. This is a song about being in love with someone that is not good for you, and perhaps just stringing you along. They like you around, but not enough to commit as shown in " every time you say farewell, there's breadcrumbs at your heels." I disagree with Oxygeninduced saying that the lover commits suicide. Instead I believe he finally comes to the conclusion that she was bad for him and now she is "dead" to him, as that is the only way for him to escape the relationship. "And on the hills that held our childhood the flowers grow there still You lay beneath them pushing weeds and I guess you always will" To me these lines remenisce on the good times at the beggining, but show the resentment he holds towards her and her "deadness" to him underneath these admittedly positive memories.
The next portion tells of why he can no longer chase after her, he has realized that by her being bad for him and his reluctance to leave the situation he was the hand holding himself down.
And ever since you epitaph was spattered on my wall No-one comes to call They can't stand the stench But I still sing your praises every time the curtain calls The burden on me falls Yeah, I alone stand at your defense
He can not come back due to the sour ending of things not working out for fear of holding himself down again. Yet regardless of the relationship ending he still has love for her and will defend her positive aspects because of this enduring love. I feel this song ties into the next song on the CD, "Trembling of the Rose."
This song reminds me of a guy who was bad for me, but he had a good heart. He was just damaged goods and I was part of the damage. In the end, he kept getting caught in his web of destruction, and I would always defend his honor as a friend until it dragged me down so hard I hit bottom. I was his only friend, but he couldn't hold it together, and I was reminded of this song, "Could you be the hand that held me down? When I was sick with common sense And now your statuettes are all torn down There's no-one left for you to lean against."
The whole time this person is leaning on you, but they've pulled the rug out from under you and it doesn't make any sense to you, because you were the only one there for them. Basically, they try to hold on to you by making you feel like shit about yourself. Really sick and twisted!