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.
What'll I do if you never wanna come back
Sittin' in a city that is always on the attack
What'll I do if you never want me back
Come with me come back we'll live again
And what if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home
Sittin' in a city that'll never let me go
What if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home
What'll I do if you never find me again
Sittin' in a province a million miles from my friends
What'll I do if you never find me again
Come with me come back we'll live again
And what if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home
Sittin' in a city that'll never let me go
What if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home
Late at night
Sync your heart beat to mine
I will never try
To forget these northern lies
Late at night
Sink your heart into mine
I will never try
To forget your northern eyes
Run away again
From this Alberta pen
And I will never try
To forget your northern eyes
Run away again
From this Alberta pen
And I will never try
To forget your northern eyes
Meet me there again
Under the lights at the Ledge
And we will burn our eyes
Seeking out these purple nights
Meet me there again
Under the lights at the Ledge
And we will burn our eyes
Seeking out these purple nights
Sittin' in a city that is always on the attack
What'll I do if you never want me back
Come with me come back we'll live again
And what if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home
Sittin' in a city that'll never let me go
What if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home
What'll I do if you never find me again
Sittin' in a province a million miles from my friends
What'll I do if you never find me again
Come with me come back we'll live again
And what if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home
Sittin' in a city that'll never let me go
What if I'm only satisfied when I'm at home
Late at night
Sync your heart beat to mine
I will never try
To forget these northern lies
Late at night
Sink your heart into mine
I will never try
To forget your northern eyes
Run away again
From this Alberta pen
And I will never try
To forget your northern eyes
Run away again
From this Alberta pen
And I will never try
To forget your northern eyes
Meet me there again
Under the lights at the Ledge
And we will burn our eyes
Seeking out these purple nights
Meet me there again
Under the lights at the Ledge
And we will burn our eyes
Seeking out these purple nights
Lyrics submitted by Premaximum, edited by eyeofthetigers
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This is quite a song to listen to when your girlfriend's leaving for college in another country at the end of the summer while you're stuck in New York.
Gets me a little emotional
"Under the lights at the Leg And we will burn our eyes Seeking out these purple nights"
The Legislature in Edmonton is lit up at night with yellow floodlights, and if you walk up and stare into them for awhile everything will look all purple-y when you look away. "Purple City", when combined with a 40 of Big Bear, makes for a great cheap date. And this song could only make it better!
I heard this song for the first time yesterday. My husband played it for me as we drove across the wide-open prairie on our way back home to Edmonton. We'd been in Vancouver over the weekend and were nearing the end of a very long drive. It had been overcast for twelve hours: since we'd left the Lower Mainland, we'd been surrounded by clouds and fog and rain. And yet, despite the dreary weather, the weekend had helped to convince us that we wanted to leave behind the city of our births and live there, near the ocean, with the hippies and the yuppies amongst the Douglas firs. Coming "home" to us at this point felt more like going to prison.
But eventually we crested a ridge on the Yellowhead Highway just west of Edmonton and the clouds broke a little and this golden sunshine spilled out over the hills and meadows around us. Off in the distance, the downtown skyline glimmered like a jewel on the horizon, like nothing I'd ever seen before. Then this song came on the iPod, totally at random, and my husband looked at me and then looked out the windshield and we both smiled a little. It was as Edmonton, Alberta was welcoming us home.
It made me think. Of course, I still want to live in Vancouver one day. But that city will never feel like city this to me. I think I got a little choked up at that realization, but I'm not sure. However, I do know that there are oceans made of wheat surrounding the city that'll never let me go.
under the lights at the edge.
this song is my favorite... when the laaaaate at night part starts i freak out like a spider monkey.
It is "the lights at the Leg" (rhymes with edge). Refers to the Legislature Building and something Edmontonians call purple city.
At night, I think all year round but maybe just in the summer, the Leg is illuminated with purple floodlights.
actually, it's illuminated with yellowish lights. purple nights refers to staring into the lights for about a minute, and then when you look away all of the other lights int he city appear purple. try it sometime ;)
This song is amazing, but I was a little disappointed when I found out all the real lyrics..
Originally I thought he was saying "I will never try To forget you're not alive"
Rather than "I will never try To forget your northern lights"
Still great lyrics, but pretty different meaning now.
I never knew my city actually had such a beautiful song written about it...
its so nice how deep you can dig into parts of this song to really understand it
'What'll I do if you never find me again? Sittin' in a Province a million miles from my friends. What'll I do if you never want me again?'
Songs like this make me have doubts. Doubts about far-off things, like the person you're going to be when you're older, or the place you want to live in 10 years time. Could a thought really last so long? Surely it must fade out, surely the original feeling can be studied, questioned, doubted and exposed? Thrown out and replaced with a 'better' one.
Given enough time I think even the best idea can seem like a stupid one, or if rushed maybe the worst idea can turn out to be the best one. I don't know. I'm not a person who rushes into things; I analyze relentlessly, I doubt myself almost constantly and I don't think that's ever going to change. It comes down to a moment, or a feeling, or a person, who makes you say "fuck it", gives you the confidence to go through with your stupid pipe dreams, those ones you said "would be nice" but knew you'd never have the guts to do/go/leave/stay.
I had an experience last weekend that made me realise I wasn't confined to being I thought I was. I was in town with a girl the day after we saw Broken Social Scene in concert when we saw 3 of the band members walk into a coffee shop. Being a socially anxious person, I didn't have the confidence to walk up to these amazing people, these heroes of mine, and ask them for an autograph. My friend wanted their autographs too, but was also similarly neurotic. I can't remember if it was a slow build-up or a sudden decision, or whether I wanted to impress her, or whether I was even myself, but I walked right up to them and got their autographs for both of us.
I told her afterward that "I was always going to" but that was a lie. I think she knew; she knows me. But that old pessimistic view I had of "people don't change", I think, is wrong now. Other people can make you change. Whether it's a slow build-up or a sudden impulse I don't know. Whether I have to wait or not, I don't know. But I know I want to change.
'And I will never try To forget your northern eyes.'
I was introduced to this song after I had moved away from Edmonton; it's lyrics and references have pointed a powerful beam of insight and nostalgia on my misgivings about moving away, when I have been imbibing a few too many libations and I listen to this song, it makes me swoon, it makes me wanna hop on the next greyhound for home, for, far too late did I discover, though the city has it's share of blemishes and downsides, it is, my home.
This song so fucking beautiful.
I live in LA which i kinda hate it but everything that means anything to me is here except the only thing that matters, a young lady named Lemon. I spent 10 years with her, it has been 3 years since. She stayed in Portland and i felt.
Some time ago we were feeling trapped in number of ways, and i suggested moving away form LA. The next day we quit our jobs and filled the car to the brim with nick nacks and treasures we had collected over the last decade. We drove to Portland, both of our liscences were suspended.... and of course we go pulled over. The cops impounded our car in Medford and we were stuck there for 3 days. So everything we own is in an impound lot somewhere, and we are held up at a motel 6 until her sisters friend could drive out and get the car for us. We hopped in the car and roll the dice a second time. As we come into Portland for the first time, the sun was just about to set and i looked over at Lemon, the sun rested on her in such a way that i would have sworn that she was literally glowing. Then she smiled and was certain that she was. It was the freest I have ever felt.
We lived in the car outside a Fred Meyers for the next three weeks spending most of our time hanging out at the library looking for work. Follow by the poorest three years of our live. Nothing could stop me from being happy when i am with her.
And so now i am here crying to this song, thinking about running away again... but what will i do if she never.....