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.
As if you didn't know how it feels to lose
As if you didn't know how it feels to lose at dice with fate
At least have some dignity
As if it wasn't a lifetime spent on connecting the dots
There was no pattern
As if the irony was more than a defense mechanism
And we could actually laugh for a change
As if steel hooks in our backs were more than a nuisance
And we could actually feel something
Self crucified - missed the right tree
Tore the wrong eye out
The hissing of hellfire
Self crucified - missed the right tree
For this I have gained a victory
I burn as I ought to
As if everything was to be made right one day
Dreams don't come true for people like us
As if the gods were bored with peace in our hearts
And their fingers are itchy
As if we never broke people out of sheer boredom
And slept calmly among the wastes
And then we see bright and clear
As if we would be someone else
While mindlessly wandering through the mountains
As if we would be someone better
Expelling purgatory in Latin alphabet
Self crucified - missed the right tree
Tore the wrong eye out
The hissing of hellfire
Self crucified - missed the right tree
For this I have gained a victory
I burn as I ought to
As if all this was something more
Than another footnote on a postcard from nowhere
Another chapter in the handbook for exercises in futility
As if you didn't know how it feels to lose at dice with fate
At least have some dignity
As if it wasn't a lifetime spent on connecting the dots
There was no pattern
As if the irony was more than a defense mechanism
And we could actually laugh for a change
As if steel hooks in our backs were more than a nuisance
And we could actually feel something
Self crucified - missed the right tree
Tore the wrong eye out
The hissing of hellfire
Self crucified - missed the right tree
For this I have gained a victory
I burn as I ought to
As if everything was to be made right one day
Dreams don't come true for people like us
As if the gods were bored with peace in our hearts
And their fingers are itchy
As if we never broke people out of sheer boredom
And slept calmly among the wastes
And then we see bright and clear
As if we would be someone else
While mindlessly wandering through the mountains
As if we would be someone better
Expelling purgatory in Latin alphabet
Self crucified - missed the right tree
Tore the wrong eye out
The hissing of hellfire
Self crucified - missed the right tree
For this I have gained a victory
I burn as I ought to
As if all this was something more
Than another footnote on a postcard from nowhere
Another chapter in the handbook for exercises in futility
Lyrics submitted by diligentia
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
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.
There's some killer references to Norse mythology in here:
/ Self crucified - missed the right tree / /Tore the wrong eye out /
Odin hanged himself on a tree with a spear in his side to gain knowledge. He also gave up an eye to drink from the well of Mimir, also to gain knowledge.
The writer here is using this image to say that he tried to gain knowledge and wisdom about the world/his existence, but that he learned all the wrong things - hanged from the wrong tree, tore the wrong eye out. He is saying that the things he learned are meaningless, or disturbing, or that like Pandora's Box, once opened cannot be restored.
/ For this I have gained a victory I burn as I ought to /
Now with this knowledge of stones better left unturned, he will suffer until the end of his life about the world, existence, and the futility of humankind.
Very fitting as the closer to an album about exercises in futility.
@diligentia thank you for writing this, I didn't understand this reference before!
"As if the irony was more than a defense mechanism"
Really interesting line, since all the lines starting with "as if...." including this one, are actually pretty ironic...or should I say cynical?
As already pointed out by dilligentia, it's about realising the futility of humankind and it's existence. But in my opinion the writer also wants to show the cruelty of humans:
"As if the gods were bored with peace in our hearts And their fingers are itchy"
If that would be the truth, "the gods" (whoever this is) would be responsible for all the cruelties and bad things caused by humans, and it wouldn't be our fault. They are bored by humans living in peace so they formed humans to be brutal and hostile. But as all the other lines, this statement is meant cynical and actually it's the opposite way:
"As if we never break people out of sheer boredom, And slept calmly among the wastes"
This is the actual truth: There are no gods, therefore humans are 100% responsible for their actions. The cruelty of this world isn't caused by some ferocious gods that are bored, but by ferocious and bored humans. It's part of the human nature. Furthermore humans either try to deny this responsibility and blame the gods instead (shown by the use of irony/negation in the line) or they aren't aware of it, which is why they can "sleep calmly among the wastes" without even feeling guilty.
The second-last verse would also support this:
"As if we would be someone else While mindlessly wandering through the mountains As if we would be someone better Expelling purgatory in Latin alphabet "
First sentence means that humans try to hide their real nature behind a peaceeful mask.
Second sentence again shows the true nature: "purgatory in latin alphabet" is obviously the bible: Humans a) are generally hostile so they try to put themself over another through different ways (in this case religion) and b) deny their own responsibility and true nature by blaming god.