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.
Rest I have not found...
They keep coming, keep coming, keep crawling right through my teeth.
They keep coming, keep coming, your children I feed off to keep awake...
Long enough to meet the next little sheep...
Long enough to meet the next to buy every word i preach.
It's like I was born to rip the flesh from her bones.
I'm forever stalking the streets for the next one.
I've found I can run faster, faster than guilt could ever.
I've found once a man lets virtue aside he finds sweet what follows.
I've found that I can run faster than guilt could ever.
"I'm bleeding while you're leading for my enemy."
How could you really think that I am worth this rescuing?
I wish I could be so much more than me.
"you could be the one who pleases me.
You could be, because I can reach through anything."
I wish I could be so much more than me.
"You could be the one who pleases me.
you could be... my arms are reaching."
You're reaching out to a dog thats tasted and turned.
Why? Why waste your time when I've found my strength in another?
Can you see more in me? Can you really see more than just a beast?
"I'm bleeding so you can be the one who pleases me!"
I'm sorry, but I just cant justify this rescuing.
"You can't see fairness as your clarity.
The better man is what your heart wants to be
but you rape every trusted chance I bring your way.
If justice you seek, in death it should be."
I wish I could be so much more than me.
"you could be the one who pleases me.
You could be, because I can reach through anything"
I want to believe. Will you take me?
"You could be the one who pleases me.
You could be, my arms are reaching."
I don't want to be the father who has to watch his daughter
be conned and stripped bare by a monster like me.
God, put me to sleep.
They keep coming, keep coming, keep crawling right through my teeth.
They keep coming, keep coming, your children I feed off to keep awake...
Long enough to meet the next little sheep...
Long enough to meet the next to buy every word i preach.
It's like I was born to rip the flesh from her bones.
I'm forever stalking the streets for the next one.
I've found I can run faster, faster than guilt could ever.
I've found once a man lets virtue aside he finds sweet what follows.
I've found that I can run faster than guilt could ever.
"I'm bleeding while you're leading for my enemy."
How could you really think that I am worth this rescuing?
I wish I could be so much more than me.
"you could be the one who pleases me.
You could be, because I can reach through anything."
I wish I could be so much more than me.
"You could be the one who pleases me.
you could be... my arms are reaching."
You're reaching out to a dog thats tasted and turned.
Why? Why waste your time when I've found my strength in another?
Can you see more in me? Can you really see more than just a beast?
"I'm bleeding so you can be the one who pleases me!"
I'm sorry, but I just cant justify this rescuing.
"You can't see fairness as your clarity.
The better man is what your heart wants to be
but you rape every trusted chance I bring your way.
If justice you seek, in death it should be."
I wish I could be so much more than me.
"you could be the one who pleases me.
You could be, because I can reach through anything"
I want to believe. Will you take me?
"You could be the one who pleases me.
You could be, my arms are reaching."
I don't want to be the father who has to watch his daughter
be conned and stripped bare by a monster like me.
God, put me to sleep.
Lyrics submitted by thecreatedvoid
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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I think you guys have gotten a lot of it right. I believe that he's not referring to actual rape (necessarily) but rather the condemnation that manifests when we can't seem to be free of a lust that seems to come back no matter how far away we've gotten from it.
The song is the man struggling with how many mistakes he's made and how he eventually comes to believe that he's defined by them.
It's a struggle between logic (we all are absolutely hopeless without Jesus) and the ultimate reality of grace.
This song has (so far) spoken to me with the most clarity; I've been raised in a Christian home and am currently in a spot of utter confusion where the facts conflict with the places I've been. God's got free grace and I don't wish to abuse it and live a life half-surrendered, and yet in the same breath I know that I will fail again and again.
I want to be the one who pleases Him, and to hear Him call me by name and yet am so aware of this distance.
it's all summed up in that,
"I don't want to be the father who has to watch his daughter Be conned and stripped bare by a monster like me."
Agreed, do any of you Archers remember on "Vices like Vipers" one of the last lines he says "this my lust, the pornos and the sluts". It's evident in the lyrics that they're addressing the common problem few want to talk about, lust.
Yea, they said that in an interview as well. They bring up issues that other Christian bands don't like to mention, such as pornography and lust.
I love their bluntness.. they tell it like it is.