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.
When the soul of the city
Was laid to rest
And the nights forgotten and left for dead
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
I happened on a house
Built of living light
Where everything evil disappears and dies
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
I settled in slowly, to this house that you call home
To blood and breath, fear, flesh and bone
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Blush of our bodies in the heat of the night
All day the day after, reddened the skies
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
It's a lifeless life, with no fixed address to give
But you're not mine to die for anymore
So I must live
Born of a bottle, from heaven's hand
And now you know and here I am
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love me, and they will (and they will)
I'll tell 'em all they're loving your shadow
And if they try to slow me down (slow you down)
We'll tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love me, and they will (and they will)
I'll tell 'em all they're loving your shadow
And if they try to slow me down (slow you down)
We'll tell 'em all to go to hell
Was laid to rest
And the nights forgotten and left for dead
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
I happened on a house
Built of living light
Where everything evil disappears and dies
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
I settled in slowly, to this house that you call home
To blood and breath, fear, flesh and bone
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Blush of our bodies in the heat of the night
All day the day after, reddened the skies
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
It's a lifeless life, with no fixed address to give
But you're not mine to die for anymore
So I must live
Born of a bottle, from heaven's hand
And now you know and here I am
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love me, and they will (and they will)
I'll tell 'em all they're loving your shadow
And if they try to slow me down (slow you down)
We'll tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love me, and they will (and they will)
I'll tell 'em all they're loving your shadow
And if they try to slow me down (slow you down)
We'll tell 'em all to go to hell
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
To me, he's ruined his relationship with this girl that he still loves. The song is him coming to terms with this and wishing her luck for the future.
"When they love you, and they will Tell 'em all they'll love in my shadow And if they try to slow you down Tell 'em all to go to hell"
He wants her to know that no man that comes after will love her quite as much, and their relationship will have lasting effects on both of them. Ultimately he wants her to be happy, and hopes no-one else will slow her down quite as much as he did.
"It's a lifeless life With no fixed address to give But you're not mine to die for anymore So I must live"
He feels he is lost with nothing to live for since the relationship ended, but ends on a positive note. He now has to find someone else to die for.
"Born of a bottle From heaven's hand And now you know And here I am"
This could almost be a reference to alcoholism leading to the downfall, though i may be reading into it too literally. Either way, now she knows and here he is.
Love this track.