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.
A million years it's been, since the search began.
Still can't find it. Still can't find it.
The fuel is nearly spent. Check the maps again.
Can't let go of it. Can't let go of it.
Now the crew is cold and drunk on chemicals.
Can't believe in it. Can't believe in it.
And I heard the captain say, I heard the captain say,
"We' re so close to it, so very close to it.
We still have energy in us."
We feel our hearts break as the engines fade.
Still need to find it. Still need to find it.
So we took the written words of our philosophers,
and built a fire from it. Let's get those engines lit.
We took the church's veil and built a mighty sail.
to carry forth this ship. but we're still losing it.
And I heard the captain say, I heard the captain say,
"We' re so close to it, so very close to it.
We still have energy in us."
The mission's over now, and my breath is running out.
Can't let go of it, can't let go of it.
I didn't mean what I said, I didn't mean what I said.
I love you more than this. I love you more than this.
Then lights they fill the air, or were they always there?
I finally see it. I finally see it.
And I heard the captain say, I heard the captain say,
"You're always close to it, so very close to it."
There's so much energy in us.
Still can't find it. Still can't find it.
The fuel is nearly spent. Check the maps again.
Can't let go of it. Can't let go of it.
Now the crew is cold and drunk on chemicals.
Can't believe in it. Can't believe in it.
And I heard the captain say, I heard the captain say,
"We' re so close to it, so very close to it.
We still have energy in us."
We feel our hearts break as the engines fade.
Still need to find it. Still need to find it.
So we took the written words of our philosophers,
and built a fire from it. Let's get those engines lit.
We took the church's veil and built a mighty sail.
to carry forth this ship. but we're still losing it.
And I heard the captain say, I heard the captain say,
"We' re so close to it, so very close to it.
We still have energy in us."
The mission's over now, and my breath is running out.
Can't let go of it, can't let go of it.
I didn't mean what I said, I didn't mean what I said.
I love you more than this. I love you more than this.
Then lights they fill the air, or were they always there?
I finally see it. I finally see it.
And I heard the captain say, I heard the captain say,
"You're always close to it, so very close to it."
There's so much energy in us.
Lyrics submitted by digitallove42
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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.
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I think that this song is about a search for heaven, and kind of an "end of days" dialogue, or possibly just the end of one man's life. Starting off by saying the search began a million years ago, and we can't find it, but time's running out. The "captain" says that we're so close early in the song, and we still have this will to survive and to keep going. We use our philosophies and our religions to try to find it, but we're still running out of time, but we're so close. At the end when we die, that's when this thing we've been searching for becomes visible (heaven?) and the captain says that it's always been close. Then the song fades out with a heartbeat like sound, fading... open to criticism, but this is what i thought when i heard it.