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.
I've got my finger on the trigger
One bullet in the gun
And I'm spinning the revolver
Thinking this could be the one
I tried to find religion
To see what I'd become
I was ruined by the world
But I blamed it on the son
Am I worthless?
Am I filthy?
Am I too far gone for a remedy?
Will you help me?
'Cause I'm dying
To be something more than a memory
If I reach out
Can I trust you?
Will you help me see the light of one more day?
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
I've tried to build resistance
I've tried to start a war
But no one ever listened
I've battled with the storm
Am I worthless?
Am I filthy?
Am I too far gone for a remedy?
Will you help me?
'Cause I'm dying
To be something more than a memory
If I reach out
Can I trust you?
Will you help me see the light of one more day?
Take the bullets away
You're so disarming
There's nothing left to fear
You're so disarming
I'd drop all my weapons to show you that I'm not afraid
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
Am I worthless?
Am I filthy?
Am I too far gone for a remedy?
Will you help me?
'Cause I'm dying
To be something more than a memory
If I reach out
Can I trust you?
Will you help me see the light of one more day?
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
One bullet in the gun
And I'm spinning the revolver
Thinking this could be the one
I tried to find religion
To see what I'd become
I was ruined by the world
But I blamed it on the son
Am I worthless?
Am I filthy?
Am I too far gone for a remedy?
Will you help me?
'Cause I'm dying
To be something more than a memory
If I reach out
Can I trust you?
Will you help me see the light of one more day?
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
I've tried to build resistance
I've tried to start a war
But no one ever listened
I've battled with the storm
Am I worthless?
Am I filthy?
Am I too far gone for a remedy?
Will you help me?
'Cause I'm dying
To be something more than a memory
If I reach out
Can I trust you?
Will you help me see the light of one more day?
Take the bullets away
You're so disarming
There's nothing left to fear
You're so disarming
I'd drop all my weapons to show you that I'm not afraid
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
Am I worthless?
Am I filthy?
Am I too far gone for a remedy?
Will you help me?
'Cause I'm dying
To be something more than a memory
If I reach out
Can I trust you?
Will you help me see the light of one more day?
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
Take the bullets away
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
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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.
Plastic Bag
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I believe that this could be about someone who has given up all faith in God.
I've got my finger on the trigger One bullet in the gun And I'm spinning the revolver Thinking this could be the one
This could mean he is thinking about suicide of the darkest time in his life
I tried to find religion To see what I'd become I was ruined by the world But I blamed it on the Son
He is trying to find his religion again and his final thought is to blame it on the Son because maybe this time is different, thinking it could be some sort of punishment
Am I worthless? Am I filthy? Am I too far gone for a remedy? Will you help me? Cause I'm dying To be something more than a memory If I reach out Can I trust you? Will you help me see the light of one more day? Take the bullets away Take the bullets away
The man is asking himself if he is worth living on this world from disappearing or if he should try to take his life already. He is trying to run this question through his head of thinking if he could trust the Son. Maybe he wants the Son to take away the pain and bullets so he doesn't think about the thoughts
I've tried to build resistance I've tried to start a war But no one ever listened I've battled with the storm
This man has tried to start so many different things to help get noticed. None of these have helped, so that's another reason why the man is thinking of suicide.
You're so disarming There's nothing left to fear You're so disarming I'd drop all my weapons to show you that I'm not afraid Take the bullets away Take the bullets away
He finally thinks that if he shows he is not afraid of anything, maybe the Son could help him bring the positive side to him back and to help take away his thoughts and troubles