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's so hard, when people knock you down
And tell you that you're never gonna get a shot at glory
But that's when you rise to the challenge
'Cause it's your time, your moment
And nothing can stop us now.
Ptx, get up!
What it is, what it does, what it is, what it isn't
Looking for a better way to get up out of bed
Instead of getting on the internet and checking a new hit me
Fresh out thrift shop walking, little bit of humble, little bit of cautious
Somewhere between like Rocky and Cosby sweatergang nope nope y'all can't copy
Yup. Bad, moonwalking, this here is our party
My posse's been on Broadway, ha, and we do it, our way.
Grown music, I shed my skin and put my bones in to it
Everything I record and yep yep yep yep I'm on
Trust me. On my I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T 'cause ha,
Slim chasing dreams since we were 14
With the four track
Buzzing halfway 'cross that city with the backpack,
Fat cat, crushing
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
So we put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us,
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
So we put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Nah, can I kick it? Thank you. Yeah I'm so damn grateful
I grew up, really wanted gold fronts
But that's what you get when Texas raised you
Y'all can't stop me, go hard like I got an 808 in my heart beat
And I'm eating at the beat like you gave a little speech
To a great white shark on Shark Week
Raise those hands, this is our party
We came here to live life like nobody was watching
I got my city right behind me, if I fall, they got me
Learn from that failure, gain humility, we keep marching
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
So we put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Pa ra rap pa pa (Pa pa pa)
Pa paaa (Pa pa pa)
Papa paaa (Pa pa pa)
Pa paaa (And so we put our hands up)
(Let's Go! )
Na na nana na na na na
Oh
(And so we put our hands up)
Na na nana na na na na
Oh
(And so we put our hands up)
Na na nana na na na na
Oh
(And so we put our hands up)
Na na nana na na na na
Ooh woah
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
We put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us (Like the ceiling can't hold us)
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
We put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Like the ceiling can't hold us
And tell you that you're never gonna get a shot at glory
But that's when you rise to the challenge
'Cause it's your time, your moment
And nothing can stop us now.
Ptx, get up!
What it is, what it does, what it is, what it isn't
Looking for a better way to get up out of bed
Instead of getting on the internet and checking a new hit me
Fresh out thrift shop walking, little bit of humble, little bit of cautious
Somewhere between like Rocky and Cosby sweatergang nope nope y'all can't copy
Yup. Bad, moonwalking, this here is our party
My posse's been on Broadway, ha, and we do it, our way.
Grown music, I shed my skin and put my bones in to it
Everything I record and yep yep yep yep I'm on
Trust me. On my I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T 'cause ha,
Slim chasing dreams since we were 14
With the four track
Buzzing halfway 'cross that city with the backpack,
Fat cat, crushing
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
So we put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us,
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
So we put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Nah, can I kick it? Thank you. Yeah I'm so damn grateful
I grew up, really wanted gold fronts
But that's what you get when Texas raised you
Y'all can't stop me, go hard like I got an 808 in my heart beat
And I'm eating at the beat like you gave a little speech
To a great white shark on Shark Week
Raise those hands, this is our party
We came here to live life like nobody was watching
I got my city right behind me, if I fall, they got me
Learn from that failure, gain humility, we keep marching
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
So we put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Pa ra rap pa pa (Pa pa pa)
Pa paaa (Pa pa pa)
Papa paaa (Pa pa pa)
Pa paaa (And so we put our hands up)
(Let's Go! )
Na na nana na na na na
Oh
(And so we put our hands up)
Na na nana na na na na
Oh
(And so we put our hands up)
Na na nana na na na na
Oh
(And so we put our hands up)
Na na nana na na na na
Ooh woah
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
We put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us (Like the ceiling can't hold us)
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Here we go back, this is the moment
Tonight is the night, we'll fight 'til it's over
We put our hands up
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Like the ceiling can't hold us
Lyrics submitted by SilkySpikes
Can't Hold Us Lyrics as written by Ryan Scott Lewis Benjamin Haggerty
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.