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.
No more trouble
In this town
Silent night, for a change
Brand new year
Coming up ahead
You know its been so long
Since I rang one in?
I close my eyes
Think about the path I took
Just when I think these times
Have gotten the best of me
I can see my mother in the kitchen
My father on the floor
Watching television
It's a wonderful life
Cinnamon candles burning
Snowball fights outside
Smile below each nose and above each chin
Stomp my boots before I go back in
I wasted my wishes
On Saturday nights
Boy what I would give
For just one more
I soften my heart
Shocked the world
Do you hear my voice?
Do you know my name?
Light my way
Lift my head
Light my way, I can see my mother in the kitchen
My father on the floor
Watching television
It's a wonderful life
Cinnamon candles burning
Snowball fights outside
Smile below each nose and above each chin
Family all together
Presents piled high
Frost on all the windows
What a wonderful night
Cinnamon candles burning
Snowball fights outside
Smile below each nose and above each chin
So happy they found me
Love was all around me
Stomp my boots before I go back in
In this town
Silent night, for a change
Brand new year
Coming up ahead
You know its been so long
Since I rang one in?
I close my eyes
Think about the path I took
Just when I think these times
Have gotten the best of me
I can see my mother in the kitchen
My father on the floor
Watching television
It's a wonderful life
Cinnamon candles burning
Snowball fights outside
Smile below each nose and above each chin
Stomp my boots before I go back in
I wasted my wishes
On Saturday nights
Boy what I would give
For just one more
I soften my heart
Shocked the world
Do you hear my voice?
Do you know my name?
Light my way
Lift my head
Light my way, I can see my mother in the kitchen
My father on the floor
Watching television
It's a wonderful life
Cinnamon candles burning
Snowball fights outside
Smile below each nose and above each chin
Family all together
Presents piled high
Frost on all the windows
What a wonderful night
Cinnamon candles burning
Snowball fights outside
Smile below each nose and above each chin
So happy they found me
Love was all around me
Stomp my boots before I go back in
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Just 4 comments? People must be like I; I had never heard of this song until today. The lyrics are just so down-to-earth and warm. They're so sentimental. Makes me think of my neighborhood filled with all boys and all the wonderous activities we had at Christmastime: Snowmobiling; sledding; snowball fights; snow forts and snowmen (I irritated the boys by calling them snowpeople:); carrolling house-to-house; cross country skiing; cocoa after our cold outside thrills; spending Christmas Eve at the grands each year; etc. What a beautiful song. I can't wait to actually listen to it! Brandon is so amazingly talented. I wonder if, when he was a boy at Christmastime, his parents ever thought he would become such a succesful musician. They must be very proud of their son.
i'm so so so happy they made another christmas song :)
I think that the big line here is "Stomp my boots before I go back in." It's referring to how Christmas reminds us that we can shed sins and mistakes and "the paths we took" to enjoy fellowship with friends and family.
The song describes mistakes in the past, but "Just when [he thinks] these times have gotten the best of [him]" he realises that he's been forgiven, is free from the mistakes of his past, and can appreciate the miracle of christmas.
The music video shows a man who "stomps the snow off his boots" by raising enough money and hope to bring gifts to his family, who had disappointed before. His reunion with his family is him "going back in."
That the title is taken from this like is a hint that this is where the big meaning is.
After all, that's the idea of Christmas: that someone was born who could help us be free of the burden of our sins and mistakes :)
hope this makes sense Merry Christmas!
jeeeeez this awesome song has been out for more than two months now! how about some comments/ interpretations...
The audio of the person talking/praying at the beginning is actually a rip from the movie "It's A Wonderful Life." From about half way through the movie.
This is also referenced in the lines in the song, "It's a wonderful life."
Obviously, the song is based on the movie.
it's great they do christmas songs! Their new one the cowboy's christmas ball is awesome. brandon flowers looks fab as always
That's another of his I haven't heard yet. I have some listening to do! Flowers is so gifted...
man, i;ve only discovered it tonight. I only just heard their new xmas one as well.