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.
Staring out at the world across the street
You hate the way your life turned out to be
He's pulling up
In the driveway
And you don't make a sound
Cause you always learned to hold
The things you want to say
You're always gonna be afraid
There's only hate
There's only tears
There's only pain
There is no love here
So what will you do?
There's only lies
There's only fear
There's only pain
There is no love here
What will you do?
Broken down like a mirror smashes to pieces
You learned the hard way
To shut your mouth and smile
If these walls could talk,
They would have so much to say
Cause every time you fight,
The scars are gonna heal
But they're never gonna go away
There's only hate
There's only tears
There's only pain
There is no love here
So what will you do?
There's only lies
There's only fear
There's only pain
There is no love here
What will you do?
You're falling
You're screaming
You're stuck in the same old nightmare
He's lying
You're crying
There's nothing left to salvage
Kick the door cause this is over
Get me out of here
There's only hate
There's only tears
There's only pain
There is no love here
So what will you do?
There's only lies
There's only fear
There's only pain
There is no love here
What will you do?
There's only hate
There's only tears
There's only pain
There is no love here
You hate the way your life turned out to be
He's pulling up
In the driveway
And you don't make a sound
Cause you always learned to hold
The things you want to say
You're always gonna be afraid
There's only hate
There's only tears
There's only pain
There is no love here
So what will you do?
There's only lies
There's only fear
There's only pain
There is no love here
What will you do?
Broken down like a mirror smashes to pieces
You learned the hard way
To shut your mouth and smile
If these walls could talk,
They would have so much to say
Cause every time you fight,
The scars are gonna heal
But they're never gonna go away
There's only hate
There's only tears
There's only pain
There is no love here
So what will you do?
There's only lies
There's only fear
There's only pain
There is no love here
What will you do?
You're falling
You're screaming
You're stuck in the same old nightmare
He's lying
You're crying
There's nothing left to salvage
Kick the door cause this is over
Get me out of here
There's only hate
There's only tears
There's only pain
There is no love here
So what will you do?
There's only lies
There's only fear
There's only pain
There is no love here
What will you do?
There's only hate
There's only tears
There's only pain
There is no love here
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
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.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
so far i'd have to disagree with what everyone has said about this song...the first time I heard it, it seemed to me that it was about a kid who lived with an abusive father and that the kid gets into a lot of fights with him but is able to hide the scars and damaged until no day the kid is just so fed up with it they the leave but then they go back realizing that its the only place that they have to live and for now they'll just have to deal with it until the kid has enough money or is old enough that they can move out forever and never have to deal with the fathers shit again......
but thats just my interpretation