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.
Analyze my own matter from above
Blacked out eyes in an existence overgrown
Never fall back
Trapped in myself
Sold my hands
Envy them
Can't find
The one
I slowly start to cut pieces of flesh from my body
Dig in and dissect
Collecting examples of what the outside world sees
Under it all
I know the devastation I have caused
Upon myself and this world
Upon myself and this world
Upon myself and this world
Upon myself
Speak to me freely
I am listening
Speak to me freely
I am listening
Blacked out eyes in an existence overgrown
Never fall back
Trapped in myself
Sold my hands
Envy them
Can't find
The one
I slowly start to cut pieces of flesh from my body
Dig in and dissect
Collecting examples of what the outside world sees
Under it all
I know the devastation I have caused
Upon myself and this world
Upon myself and this world
Upon myself and this world
Upon myself
Speak to me freely
I am listening
Speak to me freely
I am listening
Lyrics submitted by themightykorean
Astral Body Lyrics as written by Blake Richardson Dan Briggs
Lyrics © BTBAM PUBLISHING
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
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Alright, before I talk about Astral Body itself, I think it's important to view each song in connection with others. According to the album booklet, there are a couple different voices in this album. In order to discuss Astral Body, we have to look at how and when these voices pop up in other tracks.
The first voice specifically referenced is "Prospect 2" in Astral Body (track 2). Prospect can mean "an apparent probability of advancement" or "the outlook for the future" or "anticipation, a looking forward". All of these have to do with forward movement or the future.
Later on in Extremophile Elite (track 5) we have Prospect 1 and Prospect 2. In this song, Prospect 1 refers to three individuals, all whirled together and mixed: Space Flight Navigator, Walking Mirror, and Galaxy Drifter. The first line of the song "To see one's self is hard to explain" implies that all three are one in the same.
Based on Extremophile Elite and Lay Your Ghosts to Rest (track 3) wherein Prospect 2 is beginning a journey and wakes on a ship counting down to go, I propose that Prospect 2 is the Space Flight Navigator.
First of all, this song is fucking amazing, as is the music video.
"Analyze my own matter from above." - The Navigator is 'dreaming' or having an out of body experience. He is more than his body, his body is simply his matter. He notes that his blacked out eyes belong to an overgrown existence. "Never fall back down, trapped in myself" He resolves to never fall back to his body, and become trapped in that matter.
"Slowly start to cut pieces of flesh...dig in and dissect" He uses his outside perspective to start analyzing himself. "Collecting examples of what the outside world sees" He implies a difference between what he (his astral body) is and what the outside world sees (his matter). "Under it all, I know the devastation I have caused" There is deep, hidden regret underneath, due to the devastation he says he has caused. I think everyone harbors embarrassments and regrets that they have hidden under lies and convenient amnesia of their wrongs.
Here in the music video, the island of earth and ice colide, and the astral body takes flight.
"Speak to me freely, I am listening" At the end, he opens himself up. In the music video, he takes off soaring. Maybe he is opening himself up to the universe. But as this happens, the world he created begins a crash course with the sun, and he returns to his physical body and awakens. Whether what he accomplished in his astral body was real or not is irrelevant, as the world he created was destroyed by the sun upon his awakening.
This then leads into Lay Your Ghosts to Rest, where the Navigator awakes aboard the ship.