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.
Sittin' in six lane backed up traffic
Horns a honkin', I've about had it I'm lookin' for an exit sign
Gotta get outta here, get it all off my mind
Then like a memory from your grandpa's attic
A song comes slippin' through the radio static
Changin' my mood, a little George Strait 1982
And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long
Makes me wanna grab my honey
Tear down some two lane country who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes me wanna take, makes me wanna take a back road
I've been cooped up, tied down 'bout forgotten
what a field looks like full of corn and cotton
If I'm gonna hit a traffic jam
Well it better be a tractor man
So sick and tired of this interstate system
I need the curvin', windin', twistin' dusty path to nowhere
With the wind blowin' through my baby's hair
Yeah it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long
Makes me wanna grab my honey
Tear down some two lane country who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes me wanna take, makes me wanna take a back road
Some old back road
Maybe it's the feelin'
Or maybe it's the freedom
Maybe it's that shady spot
Where we park the truck when things get hot
Girl we park the truck when things get hot
And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long
Makes me wanna grab you honey
Tear down some two lane country who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes me wanna take, makes me wanna take a back road
Some old back road
Get back with my soul
All I gotta do is take some old back road
To the shady spot where things get hot girl
Way down, way down, way down some old back road
Horns a honkin', I've about had it I'm lookin' for an exit sign
Gotta get outta here, get it all off my mind
Then like a memory from your grandpa's attic
A song comes slippin' through the radio static
Changin' my mood, a little George Strait 1982
And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long
Makes me wanna grab my honey
Tear down some two lane country who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes me wanna take, makes me wanna take a back road
I've been cooped up, tied down 'bout forgotten
what a field looks like full of corn and cotton
If I'm gonna hit a traffic jam
Well it better be a tractor man
So sick and tired of this interstate system
I need the curvin', windin', twistin' dusty path to nowhere
With the wind blowin' through my baby's hair
Yeah it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long
Makes me wanna grab my honey
Tear down some two lane country who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes me wanna take, makes me wanna take a back road
Some old back road
Maybe it's the feelin'
Or maybe it's the freedom
Maybe it's that shady spot
Where we park the truck when things get hot
Girl we park the truck when things get hot
And it makes me wanna take a back road
Makes me wanna take the long way home
Put a little gravel in my travel
Unwind, unravel all night long
Makes me wanna grab you honey
Tear down some two lane country who knows
Get lost and get right with my soul
Makes me wanna take, makes me wanna take a back road
Some old back road
Get back with my soul
All I gotta do is take some old back road
To the shady spot where things get hot girl
Way down, way down, way down some old back road
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"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:
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
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Mountain Song
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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.
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"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."
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It's about a man who is stuck in a traffic jam who decides to avoid it by going home a different way. I wonder if he's tired of all the construction that comes out in the summertime like I