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.
At slow speed we all seem focused
In motion we seem wrong
In summer we can taste the rain
[Chorus]
I want you to be free
Don't worry about me
And just like the movies
We play out our last scene
Two can play this game
We both want power
In winter we can taste the pain
In our short years, we come long way
To treat it bad and throw away
[Chorus]
You won't cry, I won't scream
In our short years we come long way
To treat it bad and throw away
And if we make a little space
A science fiction showcase
In our short film, a love disgrace
Dream a scene to brighten face
In our short years we come long way
To treat it bad, just to throw it away
[Chorus]
In motion we seem wrong
In summer we can taste the rain
[Chorus]
I want you to be free
Don't worry about me
And just like the movies
We play out our last scene
Two can play this game
We both want power
In winter we can taste the pain
In our short years, we come long way
To treat it bad and throw away
[Chorus]
You won't cry, I won't scream
In our short years we come long way
To treat it bad and throw away
And if we make a little space
A science fiction showcase
In our short film, a love disgrace
Dream a scene to brighten face
In our short years we come long way
To treat it bad, just to throw it away
[Chorus]
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
sweet ass song.....
He's got a cool voice..
I love this song...and the film clip is just great. GO THE OOMPA LOOMPAS!! (Any guy that dresses up as the oompa loompas has stolen my heart!!! ;))
Sounds like he was in a relationship that ended badly, anyway, he is comapring the relationship to a dramatic movie. He says that the relationship has come a long way just for them to treat it badly. And the vid with the oompas is the revised version, the original was my fav but they said that the new version showed the band in a more natural way. Oh well.
God Bless Alien Ant Farm :D
i thought this was a bad song, and avoided aaf for ages.....until my mate dragged me to their live concert. what a gig, dryden was a true showman
Yes they are awesome inconcert....I have seen them twice....they put on a great great show....hey DeathscytheHell you need to see the original version of this music video it shows the true Dryden at his best....this was originally there first single then the radios started to play that terrible song smooth criminal....booo bad idea...the rest of the cd is great with exception to smooth criminal just skip over it.
mmm! Dryden Mitchell!! You just would!!!
You gotta appreciate the ability to make a decent song out of one big running analogy, and this song is so much better than decent. The lyrics are really sincere, which always scores big points in my book, and the song's got a great hook. Good stuff.
I don't give a fuk...this song is cool.
I love that song! It is cool.