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.
If you asked me whats on my mind
You probably won't believe it
Cause if life was one big pool
I'd be in the deep end
So I play my role
And never ever speak it
Like a secret
And all the while you just try to figure me out, but
But you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
Yeah
Well ask me a question I tell you no lies
Cause there's nothing to hide my souls in my eyes
And I'm a head of my time but I cannot rewind
The only thing I fear is the mirror in my bathroom
People look and try to see a disguise
But there is nothing that nobody can't see in light
If its a song with a rhyme or a verse with a line
Then you understand my mind
But you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
Uh, who else but Lu'else
You know I got two belts the black and the white one
I begin and I master
I see in my eye glasses
But they sayin' what I'm seeing through is false like Ross
I can hear him through the wall like walk
This way they tryin' to dissuade my thoughts
I'm a slave to myself don't disobey my boss
It's all in disarray this parade I walk
They get amazed when they catch a chain I toss
Amidst this array of different ways I talk
And it hangs from your brain if my chain you caught
Like I cough without covering my mouth
I tip the scales like the King of the south
Forgot that I was fat I lost my way
But now I'm back looking for the shade I sought
And not wonders, the sky summers
So don't make me take off my stunners
Bobby Ray you know you got my numbers
And them there can't see us like hunters
But you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
Yeah, break it down
La la la la la
Oh yeah
La la la la la
You can't see past my shades
La la la la la
You can't see past my shades
La la la la la
But you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
Yeah
And you can't see past my shades
You can't see past my shades
You probably won't believe it
Cause if life was one big pool
I'd be in the deep end
So I play my role
And never ever speak it
Like a secret
And all the while you just try to figure me out, but
But you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
Yeah
Well ask me a question I tell you no lies
Cause there's nothing to hide my souls in my eyes
And I'm a head of my time but I cannot rewind
The only thing I fear is the mirror in my bathroom
People look and try to see a disguise
But there is nothing that nobody can't see in light
If its a song with a rhyme or a verse with a line
Then you understand my mind
But you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
Uh, who else but Lu'else
You know I got two belts the black and the white one
I begin and I master
I see in my eye glasses
But they sayin' what I'm seeing through is false like Ross
I can hear him through the wall like walk
This way they tryin' to dissuade my thoughts
I'm a slave to myself don't disobey my boss
It's all in disarray this parade I walk
They get amazed when they catch a chain I toss
Amidst this array of different ways I talk
And it hangs from your brain if my chain you caught
Like I cough without covering my mouth
I tip the scales like the King of the south
Forgot that I was fat I lost my way
But now I'm back looking for the shade I sought
And not wonders, the sky summers
So don't make me take off my stunners
Bobby Ray you know you got my numbers
And them there can't see us like hunters
But you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
Yeah, break it down
La la la la la
Oh yeah
La la la la la
You can't see past my shades
La la la la la
You can't see past my shades
La la la la la
But you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
And you can't see past my shades
Past my shades
Past my shades
Yeah
And you can't see past my shades
You can't see past my shades
Lyrics submitted by tvhead0074
Past My Shades Lyrics as written by Bobby Ray Jr. Simmons Ali Warren
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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.
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I think what they're saying in the song is I'm only allowing you to see what I want you to see,because who I really am is not the guy you see on the outside but the guy on the inside,behind the shades. And yeah,Lupe kills this track