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.
I went down among the dust and pollen
To the old stone fountain in the morning after dawn
Underneath were all these pennies fallen
From the hands of children
They were there and then were gone
And I wonder what became of them
What became of them
Sunlight over me no matter what I do
Apples in the summer are golden sweet
Everyday a passing complete
I'm not one to ever pray for mercy
Or to wish on pennies in the fountain or the shrine
But that day you know I left my money
And I thought of you only
All that copper glowing fine
And I wonder what become of you
What became of you
Sunlight over me no matter what I do
Apples in the summer are golden sweet
Everyday a passing complete
Apples in the summer are golden sweet
Everyday a passing complete
In the morning waking up to terrible sunlight
All diffuse like skin abuse the sun is half its size
When you talk you hardly even look in my eyes
In the morning, in the morning
In the doorway holding every letter that I wrote
In the driveway pulling away putting on your coat
In the ocean washing off my name from your throat
In the morning, in the morning
In the ocean washing off my name from your throat
In the morning, in the morning
Green apples hang from my tree
They belong only to me
Green apples hang from my green apple tree
They belong only to, only to me
And if I just stay awhile here staring at the sea
And the waves break ever closer, ever near to me
I will lay down in the sand and let the ocean leave
Carry me to Innisfree like pollen on the breeze
To the old stone fountain in the morning after dawn
Underneath were all these pennies fallen
From the hands of children
They were there and then were gone
And I wonder what became of them
What became of them
Sunlight over me no matter what I do
Apples in the summer are golden sweet
Everyday a passing complete
I'm not one to ever pray for mercy
Or to wish on pennies in the fountain or the shrine
But that day you know I left my money
And I thought of you only
All that copper glowing fine
And I wonder what become of you
What became of you
Sunlight over me no matter what I do
Apples in the summer are golden sweet
Everyday a passing complete
Apples in the summer are golden sweet
Everyday a passing complete
In the morning waking up to terrible sunlight
All diffuse like skin abuse the sun is half its size
When you talk you hardly even look in my eyes
In the morning, in the morning
In the doorway holding every letter that I wrote
In the driveway pulling away putting on your coat
In the ocean washing off my name from your throat
In the morning, in the morning
In the ocean washing off my name from your throat
In the morning, in the morning
Green apples hang from my tree
They belong only to me
Green apples hang from my green apple tree
They belong only to, only to me
And if I just stay awhile here staring at the sea
And the waves break ever closer, ever near to me
I will lay down in the sand and let the ocean leave
Carry me to Innisfree like pollen on the breeze
Lyrics submitted by rockisgroovy
The Shrine/An Argument Lyrics as written by Robin Noel Pecknold
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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."
There's an interesting connection between this song and tracks from previous Fleet Foxes albums relating to the theme of the Sun.
From the Sun Giant EP (first release):
"What a life I lead when the sun breaks free As a giant torn from the clouds"
In this track, the narrator hasn't yet seen the Sun. It's trapped behind clouds, but he is anticipating it being released. Here he sees the Sun as a symbol of the promise of a better life, a symbol of hope.
From "Sun it Rises" (second release) off the album "Fleet Foxes":
"Sun rising over my head In the morning when I rise
Hold me dear into the night Sun it will rise soon enough
Sun rising, dangling there Golden and fair in the sky"
The sun has broken out of its prison and is beginning to rise into sky. The narrator has found a partner and they want to bask in its warmth. The narrator almost seems to be reassuring his partner that the sun is coming soon. It might be interpreted that the two have been living a difficult life and that the narrator is hoping the "Sun" will emerge soon and solve their problems.
Finally from this album (third release):
"Sunlight over me no matter what I do...
In the morning waking up to terrible sunlight All diffuse like skin abuse the sun is half its size"
The sun has finally arisen, but it's nothing like the narrator had hoped. The promise and hope that it symbolized in the previous records have been perverted, and now the Sun has become a symbol of despair. Everywhere he goes, the narrator can't escape the Sun and its terrible light. By the next stanza, the narrators partner has left him, probably out of disillusionment by his empty promises.