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.
Far from home on a road unknown
Where the vultures circle on winds that blow
From northern skies that haunt these waking moments
Our shadows cast by the mountain range
Our calloused souls, we find a way
Through desperate eyes, we long for the horizon
While this sun is rising, yeah
We are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
And we work to fix the work that you've undone
When cries for help go unanswered
And signal fires just burn and burn
We wonder if we're waiting here for nothing
'Cause our lips are sewn our ears are filled
With the constant drone of the unfulfilled
But we'll never fall if we stand for something
We stand for something, yeah
Yeah, we are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
And we work to fix the work that you've undone
Don't fall, I see lights in the distance
They're not far away
Stand up cause the sky is turning gray
There's hope in these footsteps of persistence
So don't go astray
These lights get closer every day
'Cause we are the long forgotten sons
Yeah we are the long forgotten sons
We are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
We work to fix the work that you've undone
What you've undone
Where the vultures circle on winds that blow
From northern skies that haunt these waking moments
Our shadows cast by the mountain range
Our calloused souls, we find a way
Through desperate eyes, we long for the horizon
While this sun is rising, yeah
We are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
And we work to fix the work that you've undone
When cries for help go unanswered
And signal fires just burn and burn
We wonder if we're waiting here for nothing
'Cause our lips are sewn our ears are filled
With the constant drone of the unfulfilled
But we'll never fall if we stand for something
We stand for something, yeah
Yeah, we are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
And we work to fix the work that you've undone
Don't fall, I see lights in the distance
They're not far away
Stand up cause the sky is turning gray
There's hope in these footsteps of persistence
So don't go astray
These lights get closer every day
'Cause we are the long forgotten sons
Yeah we are the long forgotten sons
We are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
We work to fix the work that you've undone
What you've undone
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Hmm, to me sounds like it could be about the general population and people devastated by war in Afghanistan (just my 2 cents).
(First verse) Describes the landscape a bit an suggests the 'sun is rising' or a new hope is coming.
(chorus) Long forgotten sons could mean the countless number of men killed when recruited to fight for or against the Taliban. There names are not recorded in history books or glorified in any way, they just die like the rest. Afghan record keeping (e.g. birth and death certs) are pretty uncommon too I hear which means there is no proof a lot of the people dying actually exist.
Women don't fight (or have much freedom there really) and so grow up without fathers, sons and brothers who die for causes. Fixing the work that you've undone could mean cleaning up the mess the US left after funding the Taliban for weapons during soviet occupation there in the 80's.
(Second verse) Seems about calls for help falling on deaf ears. There lips are sewn (can't speak up for themselves) and there ears are filled (constantly drilled with propaganda) but if they keep believing in what they value and they know is true then they can never be beaten.
(Third verse) Hope on it's way I suppose in the form or western alliances
(Fourth verse) Ditto