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.
Love, electricity, shockwave central
Power on the motherboard, yes
Push up, overload, legendary heavy glow
Sunshine, thunder roll, keep this on
Yes, the lantern burns, firm and easy
And broadcast, so raw and neatly
Thunder roll, sunshine, work it out
Overload, overload, overload
Comin' on to the
Overload, overload, overload
Comin' on to the
Overload, overload, overload
Comin' on to the
Overload, overload, overload
Comin' on to the
Oh Stylo
Go for blossom in your soul
When you know your heart is light
Electric is the love
When the mako flies up from the bottom in your eyes
Then I'll know the twilight skies are not so broken hearted
If it's love, it's electric
It'll be flowing on the streets
Night after night
Just to get through the week
Sometimes it's hard
Right now
Sing yourself out of depression, rise above
All recession, if I know your heart
Electric is the love
There's only one way
Let it pray a little while longer
It's got a way of passing through man and woman
In another world
In another world in the universe, oh
Right now
Here's what we got to do
If it's love, it's electric
It'll be flowing on the streets
Night after night
Just to get through the week
Sometimes it's hard
That's what I'm talking 'bout
Love, electricity, shockwave central
Power on the motherboard, yes
Push up, overload, legendary heavy glow
Sunshine, thunder roll, keep this on
Yes, the lantern burns, firm and easy
And broadcast, so raw and neatly
Thunder roll, sunshine, work it out
Right now
Power on the motherboard, yes
Push up, overload, legendary heavy glow
Sunshine, thunder roll, keep this on
Yes, the lantern burns, firm and easy
And broadcast, so raw and neatly
Thunder roll, sunshine, work it out
Overload, overload, overload
Comin' on to the
Overload, overload, overload
Comin' on to the
Overload, overload, overload
Comin' on to the
Overload, overload, overload
Comin' on to the
Oh Stylo
Go for blossom in your soul
When you know your heart is light
Electric is the love
When the mako flies up from the bottom in your eyes
Then I'll know the twilight skies are not so broken hearted
If it's love, it's electric
It'll be flowing on the streets
Night after night
Just to get through the week
Sometimes it's hard
Right now
Sing yourself out of depression, rise above
All recession, if I know your heart
Electric is the love
There's only one way
Let it pray a little while longer
It's got a way of passing through man and woman
In another world
In another world in the universe, oh
Right now
Here's what we got to do
If it's love, it's electric
It'll be flowing on the streets
Night after night
Just to get through the week
Sometimes it's hard
That's what I'm talking 'bout
Love, electricity, shockwave central
Power on the motherboard, yes
Push up, overload, legendary heavy glow
Sunshine, thunder roll, keep this on
Yes, the lantern burns, firm and easy
And broadcast, so raw and neatly
Thunder roll, sunshine, work it out
Right now
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.
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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.
I think this song and video together paint an interesting picture. The car is our society, average people, being chased. The car in the video is already shot up and damaged. At first the car(our society) is chased by inept police who fail to catch us. Then another figure chases the car(our society) in a similarly fast car(another society). The sky's darken when the shadowy figure begins his chase which symbolizes and suggests that he has some supernatural power or controls some supernatural power. The shadowy figure(played by Bruce Willis) gleefully shoots at the stylo car from different angles, terrorizing it's occupants and forcing them to speed faster. The stylo car then careens off of a cliff into the water and is transformed. When you factor in the lyrics with video, I think it's saying the system is overloaded and its coming to an end. This is the point the stylo car careens off the cliff. The stylo car which represents our society careens off the cliff and is transformed into something else and swims away. The lyrics suggest to me the message that our love of electricity and energy has changed us fundamentally as human beings.
Gorillaz videos are not to be used to interpret Gorillaz songs. The videos are for the story, not the music.