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.
All my best days are behind me now
Photographs tell of my wedding vows.
And if you want heroes then I'd sail up to the stars
For all I got beneath my skin are tears and scars.
I walked in these shoes ten thousand miles,
Been through all sorts of bleating trials,
So if you want heroes then I'll tell you where to go
I'll sell you a map to thank the faces that you know
Oh but for now I'll just be at this all night show
Oh yes tonight I'll spend my lonely dollar slow.
Yes I've loved and lost again
Happy ever afters never been
And if you want love than I suggest that you not wait
Cause I will know not what I've waited at heaven's gate
All my best days are behind me now
Still I find a way to live somehow.
Photographs tell of my wedding vows.
And if you want heroes then I'd sail up to the stars
For all I got beneath my skin are tears and scars.
I walked in these shoes ten thousand miles,
Been through all sorts of bleating trials,
So if you want heroes then I'll tell you where to go
I'll sell you a map to thank the faces that you know
Oh but for now I'll just be at this all night show
Oh yes tonight I'll spend my lonely dollar slow.
Yes I've loved and lost again
Happy ever afters never been
And if you want love than I suggest that you not wait
Cause I will know not what I've waited at heaven's gate
All my best days are behind me now
Still I find a way to live somehow.
Lyrics submitted by TheDevilWearsPrada
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"All my best days are behind me now": Best days are happy days. This person considered themselves happy at one time, but no longer.
"Photographs tell of my wedding vows": He/She believed in marriage at one time. But not at the moment. Death or divorce currently seem to be jading the person speaking.
"And if you want heroes then I'd sail up to the stars": For some reason this person, or the person who died/divorced this person, was considered a hero.But don't talk to this person, about it now, not when he or she is about to sin.
"For all I got beneath my skin are tears and scars": Something, someone or many harsh experiences tore and scarred this person's life. Scars don't happen by themselves, they come from somewhere. Life experiences have jaded this person.
"Walked in these shoes ten thousand miles": Been abused by others perceptions, don't judge until you've walked in someone elses shoes, in this case not just a mile, but 10,000 - so the person is exhausted 'Nobody knows what I've been through', I'm not planning on being an angel tonight, and no one should expect me to.
"Been through all sorts of bleating trials": Could be whatever disaster happened to end his/her marriage required trials in front of a judge. If 10,000 miles is required to walk in his/her shoes, it was probably a big deal and not just a metaphor for regular trials and tribulations of daily life.
Walking in these shoes is sometimes used as a metaphor for abuse that had to be endured.
"So if you want heroes then I'll tell you where to go": If you expect this person to be an angel and care about what people want, he/she will tell them to go ....themselves. He or she is no angel tonight.
"I'll sell you a map to thank the faces that you know": In other words, people could care less about the real person, people spend a lot of time watching tv or going to the movies for their stories watching actors.
"Oh but for now I'll just be at this all night show": I'm just going to perform, pretend, for this audience tonight.
"Oh yes tonight I'll spend my lonely dollar slow": I'm getting paid,to act this way.
"Yes I've loved and lost and loved again": I've remarried.
"Happy ever afters never been" I'm real, I'm jaded, tonight I'm having an affair.
"And if you want love than I suggest that you not wait Cause I will know not what I've waited at heaven's gate": Advice -Life is short, your going to die, get it when you can. Right now.
"All my best days are behind me now Still I find a way to live somehow."
Sounds like a conversation with a stranger in a bar. Sounds like they are a night club act and don't want swooners. Life mistreated them, they didn't find a second love that satisfied, he or she excused themselves to have affairs. Hopefully they were able to shake it off and cheer up the next day, and it wasn't their whole life.
My new favorite Amos song... Great depiction of life. No matter what the circumstances are, life always want to survive and push forward.
It's about placing value on the people in your life and prioritising happiness through love, rather than putting career or other success ahead of love. It's about getting to the end and finding yourself alone and somehow just living each day.