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.
hey man, the universe didn't start with zero
'cause they didn't know where to put it so they had to invent negative numbers
time is a number line with jesus at the zero and two arrows with infinite ticks pointing left and right
i keep finding myself in the same back left seat in someone elses car on another road trip to chicago, new york, or in an airplane watching thunderstorms over detroit
and the east-bound short-night accelerated sunrise, is it quicker to travel west since the way the world rotates?
will california meet you halfway?
i'm sick of cigarette smoke in my hair, and the grease combed wig i wear at shows
i have no patience for sales tax and shitty neon signs
death is an arrow and the tick marks are parking meters
don't feed your kids dead flesh from the floor
your president is a hologram
with his manicured fingernails and a fresh haircut
danny glover is a hologram
with his barrel chest and beard
britney spears is a hologram
with a boob-job and lipstick
people that believe in holograms
eat gorton's fish sticks
it's true, virginia slims pays bea arthur thirty thousand dollars a year to smoke a pack a day
target says "here we grow again" as a positive statement
all these billboards directed at soccer moms in maroon wagons on four-lane highways outside of chicago, detroit, minneapolis, who's allowing blockbuster to tear down housing projects to have three stores in two blocks?
why does the winning world assume we're all self centered?
there is no room for rococo decadence in this new world
awaiting the nuke-bomb mad max makeover
the half-mast flag at the park shows proof of mourning
on a dry blue sky memorial day monday, seventy five, sunny
..died, pulling a fifty foot flag, bit by bit from his fist
like a cheap magic trick
while standing in a bed of black-eyed-susans and wearing a store-bought blindfold
he'd be the first to tell you that if you get hit by a car hard
or stand too close to where a bomb drops in a city park bed of black-eyed-susans, it might just literally knock your socks off
and he'd hope that the flag's half-mastedness wouldn't spoil your beautiful september
afternoon cut grass sidewalk life
not even a bit
don't swallow the knife
no need to say shit
keep flying that kite
'cause they didn't know where to put it so they had to invent negative numbers
time is a number line with jesus at the zero and two arrows with infinite ticks pointing left and right
i keep finding myself in the same back left seat in someone elses car on another road trip to chicago, new york, or in an airplane watching thunderstorms over detroit
and the east-bound short-night accelerated sunrise, is it quicker to travel west since the way the world rotates?
will california meet you halfway?
i'm sick of cigarette smoke in my hair, and the grease combed wig i wear at shows
i have no patience for sales tax and shitty neon signs
death is an arrow and the tick marks are parking meters
don't feed your kids dead flesh from the floor
your president is a hologram
with his manicured fingernails and a fresh haircut
danny glover is a hologram
with his barrel chest and beard
britney spears is a hologram
with a boob-job and lipstick
people that believe in holograms
eat gorton's fish sticks
it's true, virginia slims pays bea arthur thirty thousand dollars a year to smoke a pack a day
target says "here we grow again" as a positive statement
all these billboards directed at soccer moms in maroon wagons on four-lane highways outside of chicago, detroit, minneapolis, who's allowing blockbuster to tear down housing projects to have three stores in two blocks?
why does the winning world assume we're all self centered?
there is no room for rococo decadence in this new world
awaiting the nuke-bomb mad max makeover
the half-mast flag at the park shows proof of mourning
on a dry blue sky memorial day monday, seventy five, sunny
..died, pulling a fifty foot flag, bit by bit from his fist
like a cheap magic trick
while standing in a bed of black-eyed-susans and wearing a store-bought blindfold
he'd be the first to tell you that if you get hit by a car hard
or stand too close to where a bomb drops in a city park bed of black-eyed-susans, it might just literally knock your socks off
and he'd hope that the flag's half-mastedness wouldn't spoil your beautiful september
afternoon cut grass sidewalk life
not even a bit
don't swallow the knife
no need to say shit
keep flying that kite
Lyrics submitted by shitscold
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
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
"time is a number line with jesus at the zero and two arrows with infinite ticks pointing left and right" I love it