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.
What you mean, what you mean?
What you mean, man, what you mean?
What you mean, yeah, what you see?
What you see, yeah, oh no
Well I need a little something to pull my head off
Need a little something to pull my head off, yeah
Need a little something
Because I've been running from the truth
Will never lose
Lies come from loose teeth
Tied to the noose
Climbing up my own tree hoping it can hold
All the things I've seen but I've chosen to ignore
Well, I said, well I believe I've been well fed, yeah
But the wolf's not dead
Say what you love, it's alright
Don't be afraid to find your light
Embrace the day, like night
We hear the fire
We all go wild again
And you have the name
Of someone I love
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it'll never be the same
We'll see the sun again
Before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you
Pay the man, pay the man
Got to pay the man
Run as fast as you can
Call out to God, praise to the Most High
Call out for help 'cause I'm playing with fire
Call out to mountains till my voice goes faint
Echoes through time then goes back with new strength
And when it's raining
We're sailing
Oh yeah, we're sailing
We're sailing
I'm off the leash
I go to war for peace
Must've been touching everything that I can
I've got blood on my hands
Guess I'm going deaf with the cry of this sin
Oh please forgive me I don't understand
We all believe we've been well fed, yeah
The deaf man heard what the mute man said
Then they all followed where the blind man led
Say what you love, it's alright
Don't be afraid to find your light
Embrace the day, like night
We hear the fire
We all go wild again
And you have the name
Of someone I love
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it'll never be the same
We'll see the sun again
And before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you
(Pay the man, pay the man, pay the man)
Pay the man, you got to pay the man
Pay the man, you got to pay the man
Pay the man
Well, I was laughing real hard until my teeth fell out
Laughing real hard until my teeth fell out
Was laughing real hard but my teeth fell out
Need a little something
Need a little something
(A little something, little something, little something)
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it'll never be the same
We'll see the sun again
Before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you
Can't you see
Can't see me
Can't see me
Can't see me
And can't see me
Can't see me
We all run when the light comes on
Am I wrong, for wanting it all?
But I warned you
What you mean, man, what you mean?
What you mean, yeah, what you see?
What you see, yeah, oh no
Well I need a little something to pull my head off
Need a little something to pull my head off, yeah
Need a little something
Because I've been running from the truth
Will never lose
Lies come from loose teeth
Tied to the noose
Climbing up my own tree hoping it can hold
All the things I've seen but I've chosen to ignore
Well, I said, well I believe I've been well fed, yeah
But the wolf's not dead
Say what you love, it's alright
Don't be afraid to find your light
Embrace the day, like night
We hear the fire
We all go wild again
And you have the name
Of someone I love
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it'll never be the same
We'll see the sun again
Before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you
Pay the man, pay the man
Got to pay the man
Run as fast as you can
Call out to God, praise to the Most High
Call out for help 'cause I'm playing with fire
Call out to mountains till my voice goes faint
Echoes through time then goes back with new strength
And when it's raining
We're sailing
Oh yeah, we're sailing
We're sailing
I'm off the leash
I go to war for peace
Must've been touching everything that I can
I've got blood on my hands
Guess I'm going deaf with the cry of this sin
Oh please forgive me I don't understand
We all believe we've been well fed, yeah
The deaf man heard what the mute man said
Then they all followed where the blind man led
Say what you love, it's alright
Don't be afraid to find your light
Embrace the day, like night
We hear the fire
We all go wild again
And you have the name
Of someone I love
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it'll never be the same
We'll see the sun again
And before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you
(Pay the man, pay the man, pay the man)
Pay the man, you got to pay the man
Pay the man, you got to pay the man
Pay the man
Well, I was laughing real hard until my teeth fell out
Laughing real hard until my teeth fell out
Was laughing real hard but my teeth fell out
Need a little something
Need a little something
(A little something, little something, little something)
You said, just keep it true
Lift up your name
Seasons change
You know it'll never be the same
We'll see the sun again
Before it fades
I just wanna say that I love you
Can't you see
Can't see me
Can't see me
Can't see me
And can't see me
Can't see me
We all run when the light comes on
Am I wrong, for wanting it all?
But I warned you
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Pay the Man Lyrics as written by Josh Abraham Isom Innis
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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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Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
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Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
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