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.
We light a match and throw it on the petrol
Coloured flames covering the asphalt
It's never been so pretty
It's never been so pretty
We gonna burn the city
We gonna burn the city
Shut the doors and climb up on the rooftops
Watch the sky falling like a teardrop
It's never been so pretty
It's never been so pretty
We gonna burn the city
We gonna burn the city
It's everywhere but this time it won't hurt us
We dance like flames turning into stardust
Its never been so pretty
Its never been so pretty
We gonna burn the city
We gonna burn the city
Look at your dress it's meltin' in the moonlight
Look at the kids they never stayed up all night
It's never been so pretty
It's never been so pretty
They gonna burn the city
They gonna burn the city
Pale monuments are shimmering like Vegas
The city hall turns into a circus
Its never been so pretty
Its never been so pretty
We gonna burn the city
We gonna burn it down
burn it down
burn it down
burn it down
{Repeat x2}
Jealous men line up on the horizon
They stand and stare as the fire keeps on risin'
It's never been so pretty
They wanna burn the city
They wanna burn the city
oh c'mon c'mon
L'ets set this place on fire
We gonna set their feet on fire
We're dancing in the fire
Oh c'mon c'mon
A million miles of fire
We're makin' up a choir
A thousand lips on fire
Oh c'mon c'mon
Lets set this place on fire
We gonna set their feet on fire
We're dancing in the fire
We gonna burn it down
Burn it down
Burn it down
Burn it down
Burn it down
{Repeat x3}
We gonna burn it down
Coloured flames covering the asphalt
It's never been so pretty
It's never been so pretty
We gonna burn the city
We gonna burn the city
Shut the doors and climb up on the rooftops
Watch the sky falling like a teardrop
It's never been so pretty
It's never been so pretty
We gonna burn the city
We gonna burn the city
It's everywhere but this time it won't hurt us
We dance like flames turning into stardust
Its never been so pretty
Its never been so pretty
We gonna burn the city
We gonna burn the city
Look at your dress it's meltin' in the moonlight
Look at the kids they never stayed up all night
It's never been so pretty
It's never been so pretty
They gonna burn the city
They gonna burn the city
Pale monuments are shimmering like Vegas
The city hall turns into a circus
Its never been so pretty
Its never been so pretty
We gonna burn the city
We gonna burn it down
burn it down
burn it down
burn it down
{Repeat x2}
Jealous men line up on the horizon
They stand and stare as the fire keeps on risin'
It's never been so pretty
They wanna burn the city
They wanna burn the city
oh c'mon c'mon
L'ets set this place on fire
We gonna set their feet on fire
We're dancing in the fire
Oh c'mon c'mon
A million miles of fire
We're makin' up a choir
A thousand lips on fire
Oh c'mon c'mon
Lets set this place on fire
We gonna set their feet on fire
We're dancing in the fire
We gonna burn it down
Burn it down
Burn it down
Burn it down
Burn it down
{Repeat x3}
We gonna burn it down
Lyrics submitted by Binx
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.