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.
Ooh ooh-ooh-ooh
Stole a key
Took a car downtown where the lost boys meet
Took a car downtown and took what they offered me
To set me free
I saw the lights go down at the end of the scene
Saw the lights go down and standing in front of me
Ooh-ooh-ooh
In my scarecrow dreams
When they smash my heart into smithereens
Be a bright red rose come bursting the concrete
Be a cartoon heart
Light a fire, a fire, a spark
Light a fire, a flame in my heart
We'll run wild
We'll be glowing in the dark, ooh-ooh-ooh
We'll be glowing in the dark, ooh-ooh-ooh ah
All the boys, all the girls
All that matters in the world
All the boys, all the girls
All the madness that occurs
All the highs, all the lows
As the room a spinning goes
We'll run riot
We'll be glowing in the dark
Ooh ooh-ooh-ooh (oh)
So we'll soar
Luminous and wired
We'll be glowing in the dark
Stole a key
Took a car downtown where the lost boys meet
Took a car downtown and took what they offered me
To set me free
I saw the lights go down at the end of the scene
Saw the lights go down and standing in front of me
Ooh-ooh-ooh
In my scarecrow dreams
When they smash my heart into smithereens
Be a bright red rose come bursting the concrete
Be a cartoon heart
Light a fire, a fire, a spark
Light a fire, a flame in my heart
We'll run wild
We'll be glowing in the dark, ooh-ooh-ooh
We'll be glowing in the dark, ooh-ooh-ooh ah
All the boys, all the girls
All that matters in the world
All the boys, all the girls
All the madness that occurs
All the highs, all the lows
As the room a spinning goes
We'll run riot
We'll be glowing in the dark
Ooh ooh-ooh-ooh (oh)
So we'll soar
Luminous and wired
We'll be glowing in the dark
Lyrics submitted by AshleyRose, edited by Paymaan, dinozord, swaroopchilli, judes399
Charlie Brown Lyrics as written by Guy Berryman Brian Peter George Eno
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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,
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.
To me this song is about a dream that can't seem to come true; the music itself is a sense of desire. Think about the song title: Charlie Brown. If you've ever watched the old Charlie Brown shows then you know how Charlie Brown always had to settle for the short end of the stick, whether it was getting a rock for Halloween instead of candy or being tricked into kicking a football only to have it jerked away from him at the last second. To me this song symbolizes just those attributes. But this song is also very hopeful as Chris Martin encourages to "Be the cartoon heart". When I hear that line I think of the episode of Charlie Brown when all they had was a tiny Christmas tree and everyone was still happy - Cartoon heart. "We'll be glowing in the dark", this again provides the same message of having a hopeful heart. I love this song, when something goes wrong or I feel as though I'm on the short end of the stick in any situation, this is the perfect song. Music, lyrics, everything.
Thank you. The song has some meaning now. Funny, though, 'cause when I think of Charlie Brown the first thing that comes to mind is the sound the parents make when they "speak." My ex always said it's what he heard whenever I opened my mouth ;) <br />