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.
earnesty and clarity
those wonderful mentalities
of decent positivity
are all that we can strive
but misery and poverty
they follow me and my family
and though it seems that i can't win
i think i have to try
but everyone's afraid of me
they'll never see that we all bleed
the same damn blood each night
so you'll go your way
and i'll go mine
i hope we meet up later on down the line
and sense and sensibility
and peaceful productivity
a pretty girl with broken wings
is all that i desire
but there's so much hostility
in all the things surrounding me
the awful glow of enmity
is trying to stop my shine
so i try to look inwardly
at all the things inside of me
but sodomy and buggery keep bubbling to the top
so you'll go forward
and i'll go back
i hope we catch up with each other on the track
and i've been thinking awkwardly
about the things that are holy
like Jesus, Joseph, and Mary
and Mary Magdalene
and even theoretically
i don't think i could ever see
the perfect human being
Jesus live without sin
so you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
i'll see you in hell when we die
those wonderful mentalities
of decent positivity
are all that we can strive
but misery and poverty
they follow me and my family
and though it seems that i can't win
i think i have to try
but everyone's afraid of me
they'll never see that we all bleed
the same damn blood each night
so you'll go your way
and i'll go mine
i hope we meet up later on down the line
and sense and sensibility
and peaceful productivity
a pretty girl with broken wings
is all that i desire
but there's so much hostility
in all the things surrounding me
the awful glow of enmity
is trying to stop my shine
so i try to look inwardly
at all the things inside of me
but sodomy and buggery keep bubbling to the top
so you'll go forward
and i'll go back
i hope we catch up with each other on the track
and i've been thinking awkwardly
about the things that are holy
like Jesus, Joseph, and Mary
and Mary Magdalene
and even theoretically
i don't think i could ever see
the perfect human being
Jesus live without sin
so you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
i'll see you in hell when we die
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I think the song is about a guy who is finding it harder and harder to remain positive and strong through the harder times in his life.
At the beginning, despite the "poverty and misery" and the feelings that he's fucked, he feels he has to try anyways, which shows determination and endurance. The next chorus shows his feelings of isolation and his desire for some form of unity or companionship.
In the middle of this song, he talks about he wants a girl with "broken wings", or a girl whom will look up to him and someone he can do something for that will love him for it. Unfortunately, this is where things really go down hill for him. The negative perception kicks in when he looks at his surroundings, and even when he looks inside himself, he can't see the better part of his own nature and instead only sees the uglier things.
Even if that's not enough to convince you, I'd urge you to look at the shorter stanzas. Notice how his attitude slowly shifts from, "You go your way and I'll go mine," which acknowledges that it's not about who's better or worse, just a difference of opinion. As the song goes on, he starts to see his way as a way of digression and failure and the other's as the way of success. "You go forward and I'll go back," and "You go upward, and I'll go down" show this pretty clearly.
Well I think this is a middle class anthem. He might be singing to an upper class girl and pointing out how miserable life is "so you'll go forward and i'll go back".
god. sean can fuckin write a song, can't he?
two corrections: i think it should be "the awful blow of enmity" rather than ethnity, and i think he's saying "all that we can strive" in the beginning rather than scribe
I also agree with the corrections. On top of that I think "everyone's afraid of me they'll never see that we all leave the same damn blood each night" Should be "They'll never see that we all bleed"
No delete on here hmm?<br /> It is "leave."<br /> Not "bleed."<br /> So...never mind.
@bumxcore yea, you're right lol.
I've been mulling over the "sodomy and buggery" line for a while and what it might potentially mean, anyone with me?
I think it could easily mean that each time he tries to look inside himself, he's only finding the ugly parts. It's interesting to see how the song progresses. You can notice the tone shift from a hopeful/positive one to a very negative one. I think these negative feelings get to him on such a level that he's not even able to look in himself for inspiration or guidance.
@mrkpwnz He's gay. Society views homosexuality in a generally negative light. This song has a lot of reference to heaven and hell, and it seems to be him trying to fit the Religious Perfection Ideal (as you see mentioned in the jesus line), but is unable to find attraction as he needs to fit in. The girl with broken wings is probably a lesbian, or at least someone he can ally with because they both are unable to fly up to heaven. Either way, he's looking for a friend in someone as damned as him.
@mrkpwnz He's gay. Society views homosexuality in a generally negative light. This song has a lot of reference to heaven and hell, and it seems to be him trying to fit the Religious Perfection Ideal (as you see mentioned in the jesus line), but is unable to find attraction as he needs to fit in. The girl with broken wings is probably a lesbian, or at least someone he can ally with because they both are unable to fly up to heaven. Either way, he's looking for a friend in someone as damned as him.
I think the song definitely references drug use...consider the phrases "those wonderful mentalities" "the awful blow of enmity is trying to stop me shine" "i hope we meet later on down the line" "bubbling to the top" "i hope we catch up with each other on the track"
I think he fell in love with a girl but she left him behind to pursue her dreams and be productive. She left him behind with his "misery and poverty" and his attachment to drugs as a way to cope.
He makes the point throughout the song that everyone has the same problems, they just deal in different ways, some more obvious than others. "we all bleed the same damn blood each night" "I'll see you in hell when we die"
"a pretty girl with broken wings is all that i desire"
He wants to help someone who's been hurt by life and nurture her and love her.
^Agreed with him
I love how each chorus changes slightly in response to the previous verse.
hahahaha