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.
The day the river freezes is the day it won't seem fair
Cause they'll come to get the river lady
And I don't think they'll care
I know they'll scrape her paint off
In their same old foolish ways
Now the people see the river
But the old ship's gone away
Water turns cold and gets to freezing
Before you even know it the old girl's easing
Away from her berth round by the point and out of our view
Off in the mist her engines pounding
Back on the banks that old horn's sounding
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
I know I will remember when I cannot hear that horn
That would roll up by the mountains
As she took us through the storm
I know they've got to take her
But I can't say I approve
Cause she's won so many battles
That I hate to see her lose
Water turns cold and gets to freezing
Before you even know it the old girl's easing
Away from her berth round by the point and out of our view
Off in the mist her engines pounding
Back on the banks that old horn's sounding
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
Water turns cold and gets to freezing
Cause they'll come to get the river lady
And I don't think they'll care
I know they'll scrape her paint off
In their same old foolish ways
Now the people see the river
But the old ship's gone away
Water turns cold and gets to freezing
Before you even know it the old girl's easing
Away from her berth round by the point and out of our view
Off in the mist her engines pounding
Back on the banks that old horn's sounding
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
I know I will remember when I cannot hear that horn
That would roll up by the mountains
As she took us through the storm
I know they've got to take her
But I can't say I approve
Cause she's won so many battles
That I hate to see her lose
Water turns cold and gets to freezing
Before you even know it the old girl's easing
Away from her berth round by the point and out of our view
Off in the mist her engines pounding
Back on the banks that old horn's sounding
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
A little good-bye
A little I'll do what I must do
Water turns cold and gets to freezing
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
My best guess: a tribute to the paddlewheelers that used to bring people and goods up the Yukon River to Dawson City, in the Yukon. When the highway reached Dawson, the paddlewheelers were dragged onto the riverbank and left to decay.
All sorts of meanings. The direction of flow of river is always one way, like time, and the river has no choice in this regard, but to merge with the ocean losing its identity as also it's freshness and its purity, in lines like, "Water turns cold and ..". All of us are born innocent but die guilty. The boat is suggestive of a rescue vessel or ship, some kind of a savior leading it's passengers to shores of safety battling and weathering the storms in their life, but eventually the ship also has to retire and be broken and torn down and has to go the way of the river, in lines like, which is sad , expressed in lines like, "Cause she has won so many battles that I hate to see her loose". Finally, resignation to the fact that all things as also all people must go the way they go. "A little good bye , a little I'll do what I must do".