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.
there was a black swan outside the palace
it was appointed by the king
and people took it as a sign that he needed more time
but you said "I ain't afraid of no black bird!"
there was a rumor of a ghost in the bedroom,
hanging in and around the bed
but by the time the moon rose, you had taken off your clothes
and had the pillow under your head
there was the face you saw above you
in the fever of a hot black dream
but it was made out of paper and glue
and you were hoping for something a little more realistic
you were hoping for the head of the queen
my heart is a kingdom
where the king is a heart
and my heart is king
my heart is king
and my heart is a kingdom
where the king is a heart
and my heart is king
the king of hearts
there was the matador who said he would have you
if you could only give it up and walk away
he has carved out a path for you
from the palace to the palisades
and now it's half destroyed
and you are half destroyed
i see you running down a washed out road
i see you running between the dream and the void
my heart is a kingdom
where the king is a heart
and my heart is king
the king of hearts
there was a rumor of a ghost in the bedroom
hanging in and around the bed
but by the time the moon rose, you had taken off your clothes
and had the pillow under your head
you've got mascara all over your bedsheets
you've got mascara all over your clothes
you've got mascara making broken hearted shapes on your face
and you have yet to see the ghost
my heart is a kingdom
where the king is a heart
my heart is king
the king of hearts
it was appointed by the king
and people took it as a sign that he needed more time
but you said "I ain't afraid of no black bird!"
there was a rumor of a ghost in the bedroom,
hanging in and around the bed
but by the time the moon rose, you had taken off your clothes
and had the pillow under your head
there was the face you saw above you
in the fever of a hot black dream
but it was made out of paper and glue
and you were hoping for something a little more realistic
you were hoping for the head of the queen
my heart is a kingdom
where the king is a heart
and my heart is king
my heart is king
and my heart is a kingdom
where the king is a heart
and my heart is king
the king of hearts
there was the matador who said he would have you
if you could only give it up and walk away
he has carved out a path for you
from the palace to the palisades
and now it's half destroyed
and you are half destroyed
i see you running down a washed out road
i see you running between the dream and the void
my heart is a kingdom
where the king is a heart
and my heart is king
the king of hearts
there was a rumor of a ghost in the bedroom
hanging in and around the bed
but by the time the moon rose, you had taken off your clothes
and had the pillow under your head
you've got mascara all over your bedsheets
you've got mascara all over your clothes
you've got mascara making broken hearted shapes on your face
and you have yet to see the ghost
my heart is a kingdom
where the king is a heart
my heart is king
the king of hearts
Lyrics submitted by equivalence, edited by smileyoureontv
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its about struggling with belief about things you cant see. and there are things that you might see that arent quite real(, or are false( made out of paper and glue). and theres the idea that one of those unseen things, like love- is set out before you- and this makes me think about god- and that for different reasons you cant capture them, you cant experience them- what is it that the person cant 'walk away from'- what are they attached to that makes them unable to 'see the ghost'- maybe the unseen thing is love or, even possibly god. maybe its about how hard it is to be a person of heart.
suggestions?
first 3 verses are right,<br /> the 4th verse should end with "the king of hearts" - he just says it weird.<br /> <br /> the 5th verse i think is: <br /> <br /> "there was the man who told the psychic he would have you<br /> if you could only give it up another way<br /> he has carved out an avenue you<br /> from the palace to the palisades<br /> and now he's half destroyed<br /> and you are half destroyed<br /> i said you're running down a washed out road<br /> i said you're running between, between the void"<br /> <br /> but the first 2 lines i'm not sure about.<br /> <br /> and finally, the 8th verse should be:<br /> <br /> "you've got mascara all over your bedsheets<br /> you've got mascara all over your clothes<br /> you've got mascara making broken hearted shapes on your face<br /> so you have yet to see the ghost."
thanks alot! many of those seem obvious now that you pointed them out, i just didn't hear it before. as for the king of hearts line, i mean it seems like he would say that but i feel like he distinctly says it differently than every other time he does in the song. but i changed it anyway. <br /> <br /> the rest of your suggestions seem right except maybe the line "if you could only give it up another way". I can't hear it but it may be right, hopefully we can get some more feedback from someone else.
yeah I wasn't sure about that one either or the one right before it. but other than that I think we've got it.
o_o These lyrics are awesome. I should take a gander and go listen.
There was the matador who said he would have you, if you could only give it up and walk away.
is the official lyric:
sunsetrubdown.net/lyrics.php
I think this song is about being brave and taking risks in order to feel something. It's that ol' "heart on your sleeve" thing. Not necessarily willing to be hurt or accepting that that's a risk, it's actually going out of your way to do it. Dude goes into a room, disrobes like, "Take all of me. I'm showing myself!" and is let down when it's not really a ghost after all and is just "made out of paper and glue".
Also, "my heart is a kingdom where the king is a heart. my heart is king...king of hearts." There's definitely a double meaning. He's ruled by his heart which leads to the risk taking behavior which is exemplified by the metaphor for a card in a stack of cards that people use to gamble - king of hearts.
Also, synonymous with the whole album, this song too is about growing older...leaving the past behind. "Passing the baton to from the old mare to the fawn" (silver moons). He knows this disposition of going with his heart in this way can be seen as immature and that he needs time to mature. Or even that his heart itself is immature. In the first stanza, he says the black swan "was appointed by the king and people took it as a sign that he needed more time" That king, we later learn, is his heart.
The song is also called black swan so maybe that's what this whole thing is about.