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.
Curled up in the back of the car
Nine years old you don't know where you are
And your head's on the window, your eyes are just closed
There's a voice in the front and a hush on the road
You're a passenger but your mind is traveling on.
Open your eyes and you're nine years older
Hands on the wheel and you're racing on over
To lie with your first love, you can't wait to see her
You borrowed the car and you think you're the driver
But now you're the passenger to your own heart
And it takes you traveling, traveling on.
When the morning broke and the sky fell down
It went black as night and the wind blew round
And stole your directions, you lost your way home
And you felt like a passenger left by the road
But I'll tell you the reason you couldn't get home
Cause there's nowhere you've been
And it's nowhere you're going
Home is only a feeling you get in your mind
From the people you love and you travel beside
You may feel like a passenger but now you're the driver
You've got to go traveling, traveling on
Because if you break down, it's a cold, hard shoulder
So fuel up your mind and fire up your heart and drive on
Drive on, drive on
And when your days are darker, put your foot down harder
Drive on, drive on.
And it's nine more years you've been driving now
But tonight you're stumbling through your old town
You met up with a schoolfriend who's still just the same
And you talked all the same shit you talked in those days
And now you're drunk
And you're sad for the old times passing you by
For there's no rewind so you might as well play
While your time is rolling away
And get back on the road, it's a beautiful day
Pick up all the friends you can find on your way
And if you lose direction they'll be there guiding you on
Guiding you, guiding you on.
Because we're all going
The same way down this long road
Yes, we're all bound
The same way down this long, long road.
So fuel up your mind
And fire up your heart and drive on
Drive on, drive on
And when your days are darker,
Put your foot down harder
Drive on
Fuel up, and drive on
Fuel up, and drive on
Drive on.
Nine years old you don't know where you are
And your head's on the window, your eyes are just closed
There's a voice in the front and a hush on the road
You're a passenger but your mind is traveling on.
Open your eyes and you're nine years older
Hands on the wheel and you're racing on over
To lie with your first love, you can't wait to see her
You borrowed the car and you think you're the driver
But now you're the passenger to your own heart
And it takes you traveling, traveling on.
When the morning broke and the sky fell down
It went black as night and the wind blew round
And stole your directions, you lost your way home
And you felt like a passenger left by the road
But I'll tell you the reason you couldn't get home
Cause there's nowhere you've been
And it's nowhere you're going
Home is only a feeling you get in your mind
From the people you love and you travel beside
You may feel like a passenger but now you're the driver
You've got to go traveling, traveling on
Because if you break down, it's a cold, hard shoulder
So fuel up your mind and fire up your heart and drive on
Drive on, drive on
And when your days are darker, put your foot down harder
Drive on, drive on.
And it's nine more years you've been driving now
But tonight you're stumbling through your old town
You met up with a schoolfriend who's still just the same
And you talked all the same shit you talked in those days
And now you're drunk
And you're sad for the old times passing you by
For there's no rewind so you might as well play
While your time is rolling away
And get back on the road, it's a beautiful day
Pick up all the friends you can find on your way
And if you lose direction they'll be there guiding you on
Guiding you, guiding you on.
Because we're all going
The same way down this long road
Yes, we're all bound
The same way down this long, long road.
So fuel up your mind
And fire up your heart and drive on
Drive on, drive on
And when your days are darker,
Put your foot down harder
Drive on
Fuel up, and drive on
Fuel up, and drive on
Drive on.
Lyrics submitted by awkwardgyraff
Fuel Up Lyrics as written by Brian David James Briggs
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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there is a mistake in the lyrics and while the actual syntax of it is minuscule, the meaning changes drastically with the correct lyric:
"Cause there's nowhere you've been" should be "Cause it's nowhere you've been"
reasoning:
so the meaning of the lines prior to that are that "home" isn't a physical place so its impossible to go there. hence, "its nowhere you've been", and "its nowhere you're going". "Home", instead, is a mental/psychological place that involves people in your life and relationships you have