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.
Uh
I forgot to call you on your birthday
You swear you're the last thing on my mind, yeah
There is nothing I can do to fix it
All you ever asked me for was time, whoa
When the lights don't glow the same way that they used to
And I finally get a moment to myself
I will realize you were everything I'm missin'
And you'll tell me you're in love with someone else
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever, and I realized I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You just changed your hair and it looks perfect
Wish I was the first to let you know
Every chance I get to make it better
I just find a way to let it go, whoa
When the lights don't glow the same way that they used to
And I finally get a moment to myself
I will realize you were everything I'm missin'
And you'll tell me you're in love with someone else
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever and I realized I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
The girl or the world?
You say someone gotta lose
I thought I could have it all
Do I really gotta choose?
What good is all the cash
If it doesn't buy time?
And what good is bein' famous
If I'm never on your mind?
Nights fallen, lights glowin'
And I'm just tryna pay the price owin'
And I don't wanna feel the comfort from my ice showin'
And I ain't tryna be without you at the right moments
Nigga, nice goin', is it worth it? That decision
'Cause hearts break and I ain't tryna be in that collision
So I'ma dust my shirt and fix my pants
'Cause I better look good, girl, if this my chance, I swear, uh
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever and I realize I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
I forgot to call you on your birthday
You swear you're the last thing on my mind, yeah
There is nothing I can do to fix it
All you ever asked me for was time, whoa
When the lights don't glow the same way that they used to
And I finally get a moment to myself
I will realize you were everything I'm missin'
And you'll tell me you're in love with someone else
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever, and I realized I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You just changed your hair and it looks perfect
Wish I was the first to let you know
Every chance I get to make it better
I just find a way to let it go, whoa
When the lights don't glow the same way that they used to
And I finally get a moment to myself
I will realize you were everything I'm missin'
And you'll tell me you're in love with someone else
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever and I realized I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
The girl or the world?
You say someone gotta lose
I thought I could have it all
Do I really gotta choose?
What good is all the cash
If it doesn't buy time?
And what good is bein' famous
If I'm never on your mind?
Nights fallen, lights glowin'
And I'm just tryna pay the price owin'
And I don't wanna feel the comfort from my ice showin'
And I ain't tryna be without you at the right moments
Nigga, nice goin', is it worth it? That decision
'Cause hearts break and I ain't tryna be in that collision
So I'ma dust my shirt and fix my pants
'Cause I better look good, girl, if this my chance, I swear, uh
So can you do me a favor?
If I pull it together, make it sooner than later
We won't be here forever and I realize I waited too long
But please don't move on
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else (you don't need no one, you don't need no one)
You don't need no one else
You don't need no one else
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.
I absolutey love this song. I was so much in love with this guy and he was head over heels for me than without notice and everything was perfect he broke up with me and I started to date another guy and a few weeks later his friend comes up to me and says to listen to this song and I did. It was perfect because I just got my hair cut too! I got bangs and I cried to it. I dated the other guy for a little over a yer and he was physically and mentally abusive so I left him and am back with my other man that told me to listen to this song and I absolutely love it we were meant to be! " if you love something set it free, if it comes back it's yours to keep, if it doesn't than it was never yours at all" that's exactly what he did.