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.
Tomorrow you'll see it through
The clouded out disguises put you in the room
And though I wandered out alone
A thousand lights abounded on our home
And I remember every sound it made
The clouded out disguises and the grave
So yeah I know I'm still afraid
Of letting go of choices I have made
All delighted people raise their hands
And I took you by the sleeve
No other reason than to be your leading man
And you woke up with a fright
Our lives depended on the visions through the night
All we had always, all we had always wanted to before
The hurricane inclined us, grappling on the floor
All delighted people raise their hands
Still the force of nature spurned
Ideas of strength and style abated by the burning basement
All delighted people raise their hands
I'm not easily confused
The trouble with the storm inside us grew
But I had so much to give
In spite of all the terror and abuse
All delighted people raise their hands
And the people bowed and prayed
And what difference does it make?
It doesn't matter anyway
The world surrounds us with its hate
Hello darkness my old friend
I've come to strangle you in spite of what you'd like
And don't be a rascal, don't be a laughing dog in spite of odds
All I'm deciphering from the spirits in the light within
All delighted people raise their hands
In restless dreams I walked alone
The clouded out disguises left me in a dream of lightness
All delighted people raise their hands
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And what difference does it make?
I love you so much anyway
And on your breast I gently laid
Your arms surround me in the lake
I am joined with you forever
All delighted people raise their hands
I'm not easily confused
I feel alive I feel it glowing in the room
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
The clouded out disguises put you in the room
And though I wandered out alone
A thousand lights abounded on our home
And I remember every sound it made
The clouded out disguises and the grave
So yeah I know I'm still afraid
Of letting go of choices I have made
All delighted people raise their hands
And I took you by the sleeve
No other reason than to be your leading man
And you woke up with a fright
Our lives depended on the visions through the night
All we had always, all we had always wanted to before
The hurricane inclined us, grappling on the floor
All delighted people raise their hands
Still the force of nature spurned
Ideas of strength and style abated by the burning basement
All delighted people raise their hands
I'm not easily confused
The trouble with the storm inside us grew
But I had so much to give
In spite of all the terror and abuse
All delighted people raise their hands
And the people bowed and prayed
And what difference does it make?
It doesn't matter anyway
The world surrounds us with its hate
Hello darkness my old friend
I've come to strangle you in spite of what you'd like
And don't be a rascal, don't be a laughing dog in spite of odds
All I'm deciphering from the spirits in the light within
All delighted people raise their hands
In restless dreams I walked alone
The clouded out disguises left me in a dream of lightness
All delighted people raise their hands
And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And what difference does it make?
I love you so much anyway
And on your breast I gently laid
Your arms surround me in the lake
I am joined with you forever
All delighted people raise their hands
I'm not easily confused
I feel alive I feel it glowing in the room
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
All delighted people raise their hands
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
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Magical
Ed Sheeran
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
This is a hauntingly beautiful song. The homage that is paid to simon and garfunkel's "sound of silence" is done so well. as for the meaning, i think that's harder to decipher, especially having to splice the content of the song with content of the simon and garfunkel and how the two relate to the artist.
i'm just in love with it. if this were anyone else, taking a simon and garfunkel song i think i would be revolted, but this is done so, so well.
I absolutely agree. Ah! Amazing.
Sufjan Stevens beautifully wraps his story around the music, provokes the listener to think of the world and encoursges him to feel the emotion. What an amazing song.
It's clearly about struggling with his faith as a grown man. It reminds me of Kevin Barnes' 'The Past Is A Grotesque Animal'. Although Barnes' acts as some manic depressive opus, both are about struggling with the concepts of desire.
the first movement (because this is a pop symphony at 11 minutes, no?) sounds like seven swans: a letter to god about being too human for his own liking. He's simply asking our opinion: 'All delighted people, raise your hands'. He needs to know.
things that come to mind in addition to the homage to Simon and Garfunkel (who themselves questioned what they saw as grotesque about an increasingly corporate and mechanical living)
-crises in faith related to some of the horrors of living in the modern world -references to the light within -the call to all "delighted" people to either respond to, or make their presence known to the "darkness"