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.
This is the last time
That you'll ever hear me say
Last call for a better life
In wedding bells and cheap champagne
Last call for a Friday night
In bathroom stalls and crowded bars
Last call right before your eyes
We celebrate our separate lives
Last call, where are your friends
They're speaking secrets in a silent shout
Everything we build, it falls apart
And the architect abandons us
Last call when I held you tight
The DJ played cuts from the Knife
Last call where we used to meet
Now we look away and we skip a beat
Circular breathing
Will separate these feelings
Heart attack, efficiency
Erase the figure as it falls
Everything we build, it falls apart
(Support collapses at the center of this opposition)
And the architect abandons us
(This infrastructure calls for circular resuscitation)
The wedding starts, the guests appear
The church bells ringing endlessly
The bride and groom are hand in hand
And everything goes as it's planned
Parents smile, the priest chokes up
Organ plays Amazing Grace
And underneath the thin white veil
You can hear them say
Last call for the matching hearts
Last call for the yellow birds
Last call for the two of us
And the people sing
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
That you'll ever hear me say
Last call for a better life
In wedding bells and cheap champagne
Last call for a Friday night
In bathroom stalls and crowded bars
Last call right before your eyes
We celebrate our separate lives
Last call, where are your friends
They're speaking secrets in a silent shout
Everything we build, it falls apart
And the architect abandons us
Last call when I held you tight
The DJ played cuts from the Knife
Last call where we used to meet
Now we look away and we skip a beat
Circular breathing
Will separate these feelings
Heart attack, efficiency
Erase the figure as it falls
Everything we build, it falls apart
(Support collapses at the center of this opposition)
And the architect abandons us
(This infrastructure calls for circular resuscitation)
The wedding starts, the guests appear
The church bells ringing endlessly
The bride and groom are hand in hand
And everything goes as it's planned
Parents smile, the priest chokes up
Organ plays Amazing Grace
And underneath the thin white veil
You can hear them say
Last call for the matching hearts
Last call for the yellow birds
Last call for the two of us
And the people sing
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Everything is falling apart
Lyrics submitted by eltroyo11
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I really can't seem to get into this version.
Untitled 5 > Last Call.
After reading the lyrics, it seems to me like this song is about the sanctity of marriage and how it's failing in today's society.
"Everything we build, it falls apart And the architect abandons us"
This seems like a statement that is trying to blame God for being the "architect" that leaves us without support as more and more married couples begin to divorce, which of course is unholy.
"And underneath the thin white veil You can hear them say Last call for the matching hearts Last call for the yellow birds Last call for the two of us"
The whole "Last Call" theme resembles the last-ditch effort that we are trying to pursue now in order to maintain that original sanctity of marriage that was once so sacred. Also, the song's finale (which is greatly harmonial and catchy btw) blatantly sums up the state of things.
That's my two cents anywayz.
completely agree.. marriage has become completely polluted.<br /> im not at all religious, but i do believe in the idea of marriage. nowadays, its done for so many wrong reasons: financial reasons, to try and save a relationship, BECAUSE religion tells you to. its messed up. which is why devorce rates are so rediculously high
BTW Pocketmoonlight, after just listening to Untitled 5, I don't know how you can say that version is better. The ending of this album version instantly makes it better IMO!
There's some whispers after "erase the figure as it falls" that I couldn't figure out, but I think the rest of it is good.
I think I remember Geoff saying something recently about how he thought Common Existence was a lot like a Springsteen record thematically. I don't really know about that, but I do know that Last Call certainly comes damn close to sounding like The Boss. The part right after "Everything is falling apart" is a songwriting trick right out of the book that wrote The Rising and Magic.
As far as what this song is about.. I would have to say its about marriage sanctity, the institution of marriage, or just marriage in general.
i love the signature thursday build-up with the snare drum. classic.
god i hated untitled 5 ! this version is definitely better though, although i really wish they would put more emphasis on the instruments. they like turn the treble down and bass up. oh well. just got this album so im checking it out
"They're speaking secrets in a silent shout" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Shout
"The DJ played cuts from the Knife" en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeepCuts(The_Knife_album)
Demo #5 was a little better but I'm just so glad that this song FINALLY came out as a real song. It's been talked about FOREVER haha. Demo 5 was so good and we've had to wait a long time, so I'm very happy :D
To me this song is about a guy and a girl who had explosive chemistry but the relationship was too intense for her and they broke up. She moved on to someone more stable, and is getting married, but every time they're around each other there is still that spark.
The first part song is from the guy's point of view in the moments before her wedding, holding her one last time, trying to convince her not to go through with it, knowing it's the last chance for her to choose him instead. The end of the song is when the wedding begins, and he realizes she isn't going to...and his world falls apart.
Though it's more likely that you're all right and it's about the sanctity of marriage. I just have a habit of writing little mini fics for every song I hear. XD