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.
Magdalena sits in her chair speaking of the mass
She talks in splice and splinters, she laughs like breaking glass
She says that she would have me, spirit her away
Stealing all my images, till there's nothin' left to say
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
Your love is like a razor, my heart is just a scar
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
She tells me that she wants me then she tells me not to bother
She tells me that I couldn't hold a candle to her father
She knows that she's got me when I start to rave about
And she'll just smile and flash her eyes and blow the candle out
Oh, Magdalena
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
Magdalena lying there could make a dancer stumble
Make a preacher bite his tongue and leave him with a mumble
And if you think I'm crazy babe or that I'm funning you
Just pay your dues and lose your blues when she gets her tongue in you
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
Your love is like a razor, my heart is just a scar
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
I can't be forgotten and I can't be ignored
You find me with my poems and my songs
But if upon your journey you're turning to L.A.
Won't you take this little red-haired girl along?
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
Your love is like a razor, my heart is just a scar
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
She talks in splice and splinters, she laughs like breaking glass
She says that she would have me, spirit her away
Stealing all my images, till there's nothin' left to say
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
Your love is like a razor, my heart is just a scar
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
She tells me that she wants me then she tells me not to bother
She tells me that I couldn't hold a candle to her father
She knows that she's got me when I start to rave about
And she'll just smile and flash her eyes and blow the candle out
Oh, Magdalena
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
Magdalena lying there could make a dancer stumble
Make a preacher bite his tongue and leave him with a mumble
And if you think I'm crazy babe or that I'm funning you
Just pay your dues and lose your blues when she gets her tongue in you
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
Your love is like a razor, my heart is just a scar
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
I can't be forgotten and I can't be ignored
You find me with my poems and my songs
But if upon your journey you're turning to L.A.
Won't you take this little red-haired girl along?
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
Your love is like a razor, my heart is just a scar
Oh, Magdalena
Nothing like the saint you are
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
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."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Magdalena was a high-voltage redhead of a sex bomb! She was also an entitled & schizophrenic mindf@#k of a princess. For most men, she would be the most alluring form of erotic suicide.
Has she mellowed over the decades? I have no idea, because I prefer her as that world class fever dream of a lover!
(P.S. - some of the posted lyrics are wrong. For example, the first stanza should read, "Speaking of the mass" and "She laughs like breaking glass." A big difference.)