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.
Things were all good yesterday
And then the devil took your memory
And if you fell to your death today
I hope that heaven is your resting place
I heard the doctors put your chest in pain
But then that could have been the medicine
And now you're lying in the bed again
Either way I'll cry with the rest of them
And my father told me, son
It's not his fault he doesn't know your face
And you're not the only one
Although my grandma used to say, he used to sing
Darling hold me in your arms the way you did last night
And we'll lie inside, a little while he wrote
I could look into your eyes until the sun comes up
And we're wrapped in light, in life, in love
Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut
For they're designed to be together, oh
With your body next to mine our hearts will beat as one
And we're set alight, we're afire love, oh, love
And things were all good yesterday
Then the devil took your breath away
And now we're left here in the pain
Black suit, black tie standin' in the rain
And now my family is one again
Stapled together with the strangers and a friend
Came to my mind I should paint it with a pen
Six years old I remember when
My father told me, son
It's not his fault he doesn't know your face
And you're not the only one
Although my grandma used to say, he used to sing
Darling hold me in your arms the way you did last night
And we'll lie inside, a little while he wrote
I could look into your eyes until the sun comes up
And we're wrapped in light, in life, in love
Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut
For they're designed to be together, oh
With your body next to mine our hearts will beat as one
And we're set alight, we're afire love, oh, love
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
And my father and all of my family
Rise from the seats to sing hallelujah
And my mother and all of my family
Rise from the seats to sing hallelujah
And my brother and all of my family
Rise from the seats to sing hallelujah
(And all of my brothers and my sisters, yeah)
And my father and all of my family
Rise from the seats to sing hallelujah
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
And then the devil took your memory
And if you fell to your death today
I hope that heaven is your resting place
I heard the doctors put your chest in pain
But then that could have been the medicine
And now you're lying in the bed again
Either way I'll cry with the rest of them
And my father told me, son
It's not his fault he doesn't know your face
And you're not the only one
Although my grandma used to say, he used to sing
Darling hold me in your arms the way you did last night
And we'll lie inside, a little while he wrote
I could look into your eyes until the sun comes up
And we're wrapped in light, in life, in love
Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut
For they're designed to be together, oh
With your body next to mine our hearts will beat as one
And we're set alight, we're afire love, oh, love
And things were all good yesterday
Then the devil took your breath away
And now we're left here in the pain
Black suit, black tie standin' in the rain
And now my family is one again
Stapled together with the strangers and a friend
Came to my mind I should paint it with a pen
Six years old I remember when
My father told me, son
It's not his fault he doesn't know your face
And you're not the only one
Although my grandma used to say, he used to sing
Darling hold me in your arms the way you did last night
And we'll lie inside, a little while he wrote
I could look into your eyes until the sun comes up
And we're wrapped in light, in life, in love
Put your open lips on mine and slowly let them shut
For they're designed to be together, oh
With your body next to mine our hearts will beat as one
And we're set alight, we're afire love, oh, love
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
And my father and all of my family
Rise from the seats to sing hallelujah
And my mother and all of my family
Rise from the seats to sing hallelujah
And my brother and all of my family
Rise from the seats to sing hallelujah
(And all of my brothers and my sisters, yeah)
And my father and all of my family
Rise from the seats to sing hallelujah
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
(See my love, my love, my love, my love)
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I really love this song. So very much.
It's all about his grandfather dying of Alzheimer's Disease (hence the "then the devil took your memory/breath away") which I can fully relate to. It is so magical about how he reflects on his grandma telling him stories about his grandfather (he died when Ed was very young; 6 to be exact) and about how much he was a loving, and caring man.
He then goes on to talk about him at the funeral, and how everyone has united together through the grandfather's death as they sing "hallelujah" in their "black suits, black ties standing in the rain"
It is such a tribute to Ed's grandfather, and beautiful too. I don't see how anyone could say something bad about this song as it is so sweet, and I can relate to it entirely. And I love how it ends in hallelujah. It just sums up how praising they must have been of such a kind man.