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.
It started on a weekend in May
I was looking for attention, needed intervention
Felt somebody looking at me
With a powder white complexion, feeling the connection
The way she looked was so ridiculous
Every single step had me waiting for the next
Before I knew it, it was serious
Dragged me out the bar to the back seat of her car
When the lights go out, she's all I ever think about
The picture burning in my brain, kissing in the rain
I can't forget, my English love affair
Today, I'm seven thousand miles away
The movie playing in my head of a king size bed means I can't forget
My English love affair
My English love affair
Next thing we were back at her place
A hideaway in Mayfair, all the great and good there
Drinking all the way to third base
Princes getting naked, falling on their faces
The story line was so ridiculous
Every single step had me begging for the next
Before I knew it, it was serious
Dragged me up the stairs and it wasn't ending there
When the lights go out, she's all I ever think about
The picture burning in my brain, kissing in the rain
I can't forget, my English love affair
Today, I'm seven thousand miles away
The movie playing in my head of a king size bed means I can't forget
My English love affair
When I got out I knew that nobody I knew would believe in me
I look back now and know that nobody could ever take the memory
When the lights go out (lights go out), she's all I ever think about (think about)
The picture burning in my brain, kissing in the rain
I can't forget, my English love affair
Today, I'm seven thousand miles away
The movie playing in my head of a king size bed means I can't forget
My English love affair
My English love affair
My English love affair
I was looking for attention, needed intervention
Felt somebody looking at me
With a powder white complexion, feeling the connection
The way she looked was so ridiculous
Every single step had me waiting for the next
Before I knew it, it was serious
Dragged me out the bar to the back seat of her car
When the lights go out, she's all I ever think about
The picture burning in my brain, kissing in the rain
I can't forget, my English love affair
Today, I'm seven thousand miles away
The movie playing in my head of a king size bed means I can't forget
My English love affair
My English love affair
Next thing we were back at her place
A hideaway in Mayfair, all the great and good there
Drinking all the way to third base
Princes getting naked, falling on their faces
The story line was so ridiculous
Every single step had me begging for the next
Before I knew it, it was serious
Dragged me up the stairs and it wasn't ending there
When the lights go out, she's all I ever think about
The picture burning in my brain, kissing in the rain
I can't forget, my English love affair
Today, I'm seven thousand miles away
The movie playing in my head of a king size bed means I can't forget
My English love affair
When I got out I knew that nobody I knew would believe in me
I look back now and know that nobody could ever take the memory
When the lights go out (lights go out), she's all I ever think about (think about)
The picture burning in my brain, kissing in the rain
I can't forget, my English love affair
Today, I'm seven thousand miles away
The movie playing in my head of a king size bed means I can't forget
My English love affair
My English love affair
My English love affair
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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"
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.