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.
Into the night and into ourselves
We forage like rats
With dirt in our hands
Dirt on our hearts
Into the night and into ourselves
We forage like rats
They all hunt in packs
They all hunt like wolves
Then we meet
As satellites that are grounded
By the weight of the earth
For the story
If you wanna get it done
You have to take the time
To bring your lives a meaningless story
Yes talk and fury
Are wasted on the young
They never take the time
To think things over
Meet their lawyers
Into the night and into ourselves
We forage like rats
With dirt in our hands
Dirt in our hearts
Into the night and into ourselves
We forage like rats
They all hunt in packs
They all hunt like wolves
Then we meet
As satellites that are grounded
By the weight of the earth
Yes we meet
As satellites that are grounded
By the weight of the earth
By the weight
What you've got to realise
Is that there's never a time
To be so intricate
As to fall and cut your knees
With smiles
That contradict your eyes
Before a lie in Dutch
We'll be forever sharing our wives
We'll have a thorn in our sides
This conversation's played
As highly-scripted verse and rhyme
As time predicts all of our lies
That crawl inside of our heads
The outside walls and ramparts
Won't ever fall until we have gods
You always took the time to be pleasant
In your discourse and thoughts
The outside walls and ramparts
Won't ever fall until we have gods
You always took the time to be pleasant
In your discourse and thoughts
A calling on the forecourt
Of dozens of predictable brains
And that's what you get for being thoughtful and brave
Then we meet
As satellites that are grounded
By the weight of the earth
By the weight of the
Earth
We shield our eyes
From all of the turrets that fire
Still we, we take our time
To fire
And emerge from the mire
When we melt like glaciers
That are drowning
In the pride of the sun
And we, we take our time to see
We trust and hide and seek all our while
In the church of the earth
In the church and the earth
Like our books full of myth
In the church and the earth
We will hide all our secrets till death
We forage like rats
With dirt in our hands
Dirt on our hearts
Into the night and into ourselves
We forage like rats
They all hunt in packs
They all hunt like wolves
Then we meet
As satellites that are grounded
By the weight of the earth
For the story
If you wanna get it done
You have to take the time
To bring your lives a meaningless story
Yes talk and fury
Are wasted on the young
They never take the time
To think things over
Meet their lawyers
Into the night and into ourselves
We forage like rats
With dirt in our hands
Dirt in our hearts
Into the night and into ourselves
We forage like rats
They all hunt in packs
They all hunt like wolves
Then we meet
As satellites that are grounded
By the weight of the earth
Yes we meet
As satellites that are grounded
By the weight of the earth
By the weight
What you've got to realise
Is that there's never a time
To be so intricate
As to fall and cut your knees
With smiles
That contradict your eyes
Before a lie in Dutch
We'll be forever sharing our wives
We'll have a thorn in our sides
This conversation's played
As highly-scripted verse and rhyme
As time predicts all of our lies
That crawl inside of our heads
The outside walls and ramparts
Won't ever fall until we have gods
You always took the time to be pleasant
In your discourse and thoughts
The outside walls and ramparts
Won't ever fall until we have gods
You always took the time to be pleasant
In your discourse and thoughts
A calling on the forecourt
Of dozens of predictable brains
And that's what you get for being thoughtful and brave
Then we meet
As satellites that are grounded
By the weight of the earth
By the weight of the
Earth
We shield our eyes
From all of the turrets that fire
Still we, we take our time
To fire
And emerge from the mire
When we melt like glaciers
That are drowning
In the pride of the sun
And we, we take our time to see
We trust and hide and seek all our while
In the church of the earth
In the church and the earth
Like our books full of myth
In the church and the earth
We will hide all our secrets till death
Lyrics submitted by Gwalyn
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.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
hiding things away ?