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 you want is just outside your reach
You keep on searchin'
You're walking down that Pensacola beach
You keep repeatin'
While you're waiting for that sound
Apparatus to the ground
You're stealing from the lost and found
But what you find
Ain't what you had in mind
Until you find your Rolex in the sand
You won't be stopping
Until that solid gold is in your hand
You won't be happy
Call your office on the phone
You can't say you won't be coming home
You fell into
Vacation zone
Oh, oh, oh
You keep on searchin'
You're walking down that Pensacola beach
You keep repeatin'
While you're waiting for that sound
Apparatus to the ground
You're stealing from the lost and found
But what you find
Ain't what you had in mind
Until you find your Rolex in the sand
You won't be stopping
Until that solid gold is in your hand
You won't be happy
Call your office on the phone
You can't say you won't be coming home
You fell into
Vacation zone
Oh, oh, oh
Lyrics submitted by ClickForth, edited by sftateofmind
Beach Comber Lyrics as written by Martin Courtney
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.”
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Great version of a great song,
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A song about never being content with what you have are where you are in life. Wasting your life because you cant be happy in the present without having an ideal about what your life "should" have been.
The last line is:
You fell into vacation zone
last part is
"Call your office on the phone. Say you won't be coming home. We fell into vacations on our own."
I agree with lokey and ohiooo88, in that I believe this song is about discontent with life< but I believe it is much more of a matter than just involving money. The way the singer speaks of "solid" gold kind of makes it seems like more of an ephemeral need than a financial need, in which a person requires something to satiate them in a physical or "real" sense. Money can serve this purpose, but the way the song feels to me, especially the outro, this song seems to be talking about a need beyond money. This beach comber is hoping to find anything to get him by in the sands of life.
I agree with lokey and ohiooo88, in that I believe this song is about discontent with life< but I believe it is much more of a matter than just involving money. The way the singer speaks of "solid" gold kind of makes it seems like more of an ephemeral need than a financial need, in which a person requires something to satiate them in a physical or "real" sense. Money can serve this purpose, but the way the song feels to me, especially the outro, this song seems to be talking about a need beyond money. This beach comber is hoping to find anything to get him by in the sands of life.
I'm not sure how these lyrics could be this off base...the words as they're set down here give the song the opposite of its intended meaning. Corrections:
"YOU'LL be happy" not "you won't be happy"
"Say you won't be coming home" not "you can't say you won't be coming home"
"You fell into vacation zone" not "you're balancing vacations on a rope"
The guy (a beachcomber) is looking for something valuable on the beach (like a Rolex watch) with his metal detector ("apparatus to the ground"). Instead what he "finds" is that he's happier just walking down the beach, freed from everyday cares like work ("call your office on the phone / say you won't be coming home"). Being freed from thus cares, he enters a sort of blissful state at this realization, and thus falls into a "vacation zone."
I think the very last line is:
You're balancing vacations on a rope
Such a lovely, Shins-esque song. :3
What you want is just outside your reach You keep on searchin' You're walking down that Pensacola beach You keep repeatin' While you're waiting for that sound Apparatus to the ground You're stealing from the lost and found But what you find ain't what you had in mind Until you find your Rolex in the sand You won't be stopping Until that solid gold is in your hand You won't be happy Nah, call your office on the phone You can't say you won't be coming home You're balancing vacations on a rope
At its most superficial, the song is about a person using a metal detector on the beach, looking for buried treasure. But on a more meaningful level, I agree with ohiooo88, it is about feeling discontent with life. I believe it is referring to those who spend their whole life chasing money because they think once they become rich their life will be complete, but they overlook the real meaning of life which is to appreciate and enjoy every day.