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.
Shadows on the water,
From a memory that turns inside;
From the last time I saw you happier,
Than I’ve seen you
Than I’ve seen you in a long while
And all these faces, oh how they adore you
With every blessing; every strength of a storm.
And it seems to me it all worked out so different
Funny how distance and time they don't change at all
So may your worries,
May your worries
Never fall to loud
Oh may you stay here,
May you stay here
Happy in your own skin,
On the ninth cloud
Cold to every warning,
Oh these ships that passed through, oh years before
And bolder now than a brand new morning
Oh the sun on your face, the bruise and the breaks of these careless arms
So hold your body,
Hold your body
Strong in these winds that blind
And may I find you,
May we sit together when we're grey and old,
On cloud nine
On cloud nine
Cloud nine
This life will move you with every step outside,
It's alright, it's alright;
My arms are open wide for you
This life will move you as graceful as the tide
Oh it's alright, it's alright;
Loosen the fears that fears that bind you,
Loosen the fears that fears that bind you,
I loosen the fears that fears that bind you,
Loosen the fears that fears that bind you
From a memory that turns inside;
From the last time I saw you happier,
Than I’ve seen you
Than I’ve seen you in a long while
And all these faces, oh how they adore you
With every blessing; every strength of a storm.
And it seems to me it all worked out so different
Funny how distance and time they don't change at all
So may your worries,
May your worries
Never fall to loud
Oh may you stay here,
May you stay here
Happy in your own skin,
On the ninth cloud
Cold to every warning,
Oh these ships that passed through, oh years before
And bolder now than a brand new morning
Oh the sun on your face, the bruise and the breaks of these careless arms
So hold your body,
Hold your body
Strong in these winds that blind
And may I find you,
May we sit together when we're grey and old,
On cloud nine
On cloud nine
Cloud nine
This life will move you with every step outside,
It's alright, it's alright;
My arms are open wide for you
This life will move you as graceful as the tide
Oh it's alright, it's alright;
Loosen the fears that fears that bind you,
Loosen the fears that fears that bind you,
I loosen the fears that fears that bind you,
Loosen the fears that fears that bind you
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Well in a live performance, Ben Howard said that he had written this song about his sister moving to Mexico for a year.
So Ben wrote this song for his sister.. I thought of thinking in more depth into the lyrics with literacy, so correct me if I'm wrong. Could nine as a word means 'perfect state of happiness'. In the song he says ''Happy in your own skin, On the ninth cloud'' indicating he's telling her to be happy because the last time he saw her, he says ''I saw you happier''. he still wants to be in contact and maybe even wishing to be a longer life along with his sister because he says ''May we sit together when Grey and old''. ''My arms are open wide for you '' suggest he would welcome her back with a open wide arm and give her a hug. His family may be missing her because she's away ''And all these faces, oh how they adore you''. He uses a lot of metaphors in his songs, particularly this one and I like the one in his first sentence ''Shadows on the water, From a memory that turns inside''. Ben is reminiscing and the shadows on the water is a metaphor for blurry. faint image of their past.