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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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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,
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I interpret this in a similar but slightly different vein from everyone else. Here is my interpretation, i hope you find it interesting. let me know what you think.
This guy loses his love in a car accident and the song is about his coming to terms with this reality. Here’ where I’m coming from:
1st stanza: the death references are hard to miss
2nd stanza: a house of living light where everything evil disappears and dies. I interpret this to be his sour emotions dying away and being replaced with acceptance.
3rd stanza: I agree with everyone else’s interpretation: his love trumps all others
4th stanza: settling into blood, breath, flesh bone, etc. to me means coming to terms with being alive while she is not.
5th stanza: reminiscing about the passionate nights they had (nights which are now left for dead)
7th stanza: life seems less fulfilling in her absence but he needs to keep living
8th stanza: stick with me here…. She died in a drunk driving accident. He’s telling her she was called to heaven because of a drunk driving accident. In case she didn’t know, that’s why they are apart.
final stanza: he'll find someone else, but if they do not accept that this was his first true love then they can go to hell
@sibboleth He doesn't lose her in a car accident. He's literally telling her she'll find new loves. He just wants her to never forget him. The next guy will come in his shadow. And he's wishing her well. If the new loves slow her down, tell 'em to go to hell. It's pretty simple. He lost her. He knows it. Then, at the end, he comes to accept it. He'll find a new love too, and that love will come in her shadow.