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.
Ever since you left
Everything has changed
We'll never be the same again
This place has seemed so strange
I needed to get out of here
There's sadness in this town
But every time I moved away
It's followed me around
And I don't need a song to sing
I don't need anything at all
I don't even need to dance
I can just stand with my back against the wall
So I can see the way you feel
So I can know the thoughts that run through your mind
I wasn't giving up on you
You used to seem impossible to deny
Tell me there's a reason why I'm here
I need to believe it
Here I go again
Burning up the night
Even though I couldn't resist
I told myself I could
And hoped to God I always felt like this
She can't decide if I'm a king or trash
She loves me for the Johnny
But she hates me for the Cash
And you can only take so much
If you could see the way I feel
If you could know the thoughts that run through my mind
I wasn't giving up on you
It used to seem impossible to deny
Tell me there's a reason why I'm here
I need to believe it
Here I go again
Burning up the night
You can't escape the morning
When there's someone on your mind
I been doing this for years now
And can't break any ground
And I don't know what to do but keep on moving on
Wouldn't I be your shoulder?
Wouldn't I have broken your fall?
Does it still hurt?
Now that you're older have you healed at all?
Here I go again
Burning up the night
You can't escape the morning
When there's someone on your mind
A man can feel like he's in hell
When he doesn't want to be
In a place where what's inside of him
Is all that's left to see
Everything has changed
We'll never be the same again
This place has seemed so strange
I needed to get out of here
There's sadness in this town
But every time I moved away
It's followed me around
And I don't need a song to sing
I don't need anything at all
I don't even need to dance
I can just stand with my back against the wall
So I can see the way you feel
So I can know the thoughts that run through your mind
I wasn't giving up on you
You used to seem impossible to deny
Tell me there's a reason why I'm here
I need to believe it
Here I go again
Burning up the night
Even though I couldn't resist
I told myself I could
And hoped to God I always felt like this
She can't decide if I'm a king or trash
She loves me for the Johnny
But she hates me for the Cash
And you can only take so much
If you could see the way I feel
If you could know the thoughts that run through my mind
I wasn't giving up on you
It used to seem impossible to deny
Tell me there's a reason why I'm here
I need to believe it
Here I go again
Burning up the night
You can't escape the morning
When there's someone on your mind
I been doing this for years now
And can't break any ground
And I don't know what to do but keep on moving on
Wouldn't I be your shoulder?
Wouldn't I have broken your fall?
Does it still hurt?
Now that you're older have you healed at all?
Here I go again
Burning up the night
You can't escape the morning
When there's someone on your mind
A man can feel like he's in hell
When he doesn't want to be
In a place where what's inside of him
Is all that's left to see
Lyrics submitted by melancholyjen
Burning Up the Night Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
American Town
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
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.
This is a common theme in Griffin's music. He let someone slip away and now it's haunting him. He can't get past her.
Great fucking tune!