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.
Art-hounds look like nothing
So art-hounds write something
And those that do are judged by those
Who tried and found they couldn't do
Art-hounds see the Greek ideal
And gaze on what they'll never feel
Oh, the pitiless revenge of those without friends
The pitiless, the pitiless revenge
Art-hounds know what's around
Because they've seen it somewhere written down
And everything they've seen on the moving screen
Helps them fill up the page
In European museums
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
In European museums
Will I see you?
My life is opera
My life is opera
My life is opera
My life is opera
Art-hounds in a restaurant
They bring along their loving Aunt
But when they can't find a table for their fat Aunt Mable
They stamp their feet and cry
Art-hounds in a restaurant
They bring along their loving Aunt
But when they can't find a table for their fat Aunt Mable
They stamp their feet and cry
In European hushed museums
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
In European hushed museums
Will I see you?
My life is opera
My life is opera
My life is opera
My life is
Art-hounds, very funny, very witty, but very lonely
And below the belt is shriveled and small
It functions only as a word
Art-hounds, very funny, very witty, but very lonely
And below the belt is shriveled and small
It knows a thousand woes
In European hushed museums
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
In European hushed museums
Will I see you?
If you cannot stand this fake world
If you cannot stand this fake world
Take my hand
If you cannot stand this fake world
If you cannot stand this fake world
If you cannot stand this fake world
Take my hand
If you cannot stand this fake world
I take sixteen pills to send me to sleep
And sixteen pills to shake me awake
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
So art-hounds write something
And those that do are judged by those
Who tried and found they couldn't do
Art-hounds see the Greek ideal
And gaze on what they'll never feel
Oh, the pitiless revenge of those without friends
The pitiless, the pitiless revenge
Art-hounds know what's around
Because they've seen it somewhere written down
And everything they've seen on the moving screen
Helps them fill up the page
In European museums
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
In European museums
Will I see you?
My life is opera
My life is opera
My life is opera
My life is opera
Art-hounds in a restaurant
They bring along their loving Aunt
But when they can't find a table for their fat Aunt Mable
They stamp their feet and cry
Art-hounds in a restaurant
They bring along their loving Aunt
But when they can't find a table for their fat Aunt Mable
They stamp their feet and cry
In European hushed museums
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
In European hushed museums
Will I see you?
My life is opera
My life is opera
My life is opera
My life is
Art-hounds, very funny, very witty, but very lonely
And below the belt is shriveled and small
It functions only as a word
Art-hounds, very funny, very witty, but very lonely
And below the belt is shriveled and small
It knows a thousand woes
In European hushed museums
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
Will I see you?
In European hushed museums
Will I see you?
If you cannot stand this fake world
If you cannot stand this fake world
Take my hand
If you cannot stand this fake world
If you cannot stand this fake world
If you cannot stand this fake world
Take my hand
If you cannot stand this fake world
I take sixteen pills to send me to sleep
And sixteen pills to shake me awake
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
What does it mean?
Lyrics submitted by thesparkthatbled
Art-Hounds Lyrics as written by Martin James Boorer Steven Morrissey
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is epic and it rocks. Opera, indeed.
Anybody understand what he is communicating by stating "My life is opera?"
Opera is dramatic, musical, epic, larger than life, and often tragic. Those are the elements I took him to be applying to his own life with that line.