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.
I'm like a bird and I aim so high
In my Lear looking at the blue sky
Can't let another day pass by
Without doing what I feel inside
'Cause its embedded in my soul
The day I stop will be the day I turn cold
Let you know I'm breaking outta that hole
And let go
So I can be free to do what means most to me
And you can look back one day
And know I shared with you my gift
I hope you wouldn't think I just leave
Pack up and roll up my sleeve
Give it all up and leave you nothing to take with me all I got to give
That's why
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
So if your life is twisted, ain't going right
Just forget about it tonight
I just wanna make you happy baby
Dancing and clapping (Dancing and clapping)
'Cause we plan to be here 'till the morning light
Can you feel the change in your life?
Ain't it feeling like magic baby?
I'm the one that make it happen baby
So you can be free to do what was meant to be
And you can look back one day
And know I shared with you my gift
Would you think I just leave?
Pack up and roll up my sleeve
Give it all up and leave you nothing to take with me all I got to give
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
In my Lear looking at the blue sky
Can't let another day pass by
Without doing what I feel inside
'Cause its embedded in my soul
The day I stop will be the day I turn cold
Let you know I'm breaking outta that hole
And let go
So I can be free to do what means most to me
And you can look back one day
And know I shared with you my gift
I hope you wouldn't think I just leave
Pack up and roll up my sleeve
Give it all up and leave you nothing to take with me all I got to give
That's why
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
So if your life is twisted, ain't going right
Just forget about it tonight
I just wanna make you happy baby
Dancing and clapping (Dancing and clapping)
'Cause we plan to be here 'till the morning light
Can you feel the change in your life?
Ain't it feeling like magic baby?
I'm the one that make it happen baby
So you can be free to do what was meant to be
And you can look back one day
And know I shared with you my gift
Would you think I just leave?
Pack up and roll up my sleeve
Give it all up and leave you nothing to take with me all I got to give
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
I just want to make you clap again
Just clap again
Lyrics submitted by Normand202
Clap Again Lyrics as written by Aliaune Thiam Hakim Abdulsamad
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
"Cuz its embedded in my soul, the day I stop'll be the day I turn cold"
It's about his love for performing and that he's not going to stop just because he's already reached success. He wants his fans to continue enjoying his music (clap again). It's clear in the last verse when he says that he's sharing his gift and he's not going to walk away and keep it to himself.
And you can look back one day And know I shared with you my gift Hope you wouldn't think I'd just leave Pack up and roll up my sleeve Give it all up and leave you nuthin' And take with me all I got to give