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.
I don't want to wonder if this is a blunder
I don't want to worry whether we're going to stay together 'til we die
I don't want you jumping unless this music's thumping
All the dishes rattle in the cupboards when the elephants arrive
I want to love you madly
I want to love you now (I want to love you)
I want to love you madly (I want to love you)
I want to love you, love you, love you madly
I don't want to fake it, I just want to make it
The ornaments look pretty but they're pulling down the branches of the tree
I don't want to think about it, I don't want to talk about
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea
I want to love you madly
I want to love you now (I want to love you), yeah
I want to love you madly (I want to love you), way
I want to love you, love you, love you madly
I don't want to hold back, I don't want to slip down
I don't want to think back to the one thing that I know I should have done
I don't want to doubt you, know everything about you
I don't want to sit across the table from you wishing I could run
I want to love madly
I want to love you now (I want to love you)
I want to love you madly (I want to love you), way
I want to love you, love you, love you madly
I don't want to worry whether we're going to stay together 'til we die
I don't want you jumping unless this music's thumping
All the dishes rattle in the cupboards when the elephants arrive
I want to love you madly
I want to love you now (I want to love you)
I want to love you madly (I want to love you)
I want to love you, love you, love you madly
I don't want to fake it, I just want to make it
The ornaments look pretty but they're pulling down the branches of the tree
I don't want to think about it, I don't want to talk about
When I kiss your lips I want to sink down to the bottom of the sea
I want to love you madly
I want to love you now (I want to love you), yeah
I want to love you madly (I want to love you), way
I want to love you, love you, love you madly
I don't want to hold back, I don't want to slip down
I don't want to think back to the one thing that I know I should have done
I don't want to doubt you, know everything about you
I don't want to sit across the table from you wishing I could run
I want to love madly
I want to love you now (I want to love you)
I want to love you madly (I want to love you), way
I want to love you, love you, love you madly
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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,
Magical
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Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
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“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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
It's like, the guy just wants to love her.. "The ornaments look pretty But they're pulling Down the branches " - it's like saying how he doesn't want the whole big show of affection, or her dressing up in jewelery and all that... he just wants to simply love her without all the romantic guestures and all the comercial crap...thats just my thoughts
i think it is a guy saying that he just wants to love somebody without all the BS that often comes with relationships. he just wants to fall head-over-heels in love.
I agree with Hershey and Shoe. He says that he doesn't want to wonder, that he wants to love her madly, because he does wonder, that he doesn't love her. The line abou the dishes rattling in the cupboards when the elephants arrive-they argue. Apparently, she brings up his past transgressions-like an elephant, she remembers everything. The line about the pretty ornaments pulling down the branches of the tree could be about how little details about her-her little idiosyncrasies-were cute before, but now they irritate him. That's not new for anything, is it?
And, as Hershey said, Cake just kicks ass.
@ hanooska
That sounds like an amazing story! It's as if you were both 'in the right place' for such a meeting to occur. I hope this 'Jon' knows that you feel this way. I bet he misses you every day, and that you're always on his mind. I sincerely hope everything works out for you two. Such a love story that would make.
All the best to you both! :D
The song is not about one night stands at all. This song is about how he is in a relationship.. but doesnt feel in love. He wants to be in love with her, but he's not. I was in a situation like that not all that long ago.. so this song holds personal meaning. Plus.. Cake just kicks ass ;-)
No, it's about emotional detatched relationships, not about "falling in love". It's not about how he specifically is in a relationship.. You're obviously biased by your experience and see what you want to see in the song, which is common. But if you think about the metaphors in the song, there is no reference to real love. "I want to love you madly" is more than likely referencing intercourse. "Elephant/dish" part is more than likely a metaphor of complications of a real relationship which he wants to avoid in this situation. He's basically saying that keeping the relationship uninvolved will produce the most pleasurable results. Are you a woman? lol cause you're totally reading into it like a woman would.
At first I thought this was a love song... but then I was tipped off by the lyrics "All the dishes rattle in the cupboards when the elephants arrive". I think he is referring ot the expression "the elephant in the middle of the room"-- that glaringly obvious thing that no one wants to talk about because it is too uncomfortable. He wants to "love her madly"-- but he doesn't. He's listing all the things that he should be feeling, if he were really in love, and realizing he doesn't feel that way. Plus, at the end of the song, there is the sound of a car peeling out-- obviously, the man running away from a woman he's realized he doesn't love anymore.
It's about a relationship that is pretty much over emotionally to him, but he wishes he cared more about her cause it's easy. He want's something the entire song.
He want's to love her madly.
He doesn't want to sit across the table wishing he could run. So he wants to run.
It's a relationship he wants to end but wishes he didn't, yet he can't escape his true feelings, it's over.
all i know is that i'm feeling the love :D
cake has a very interesting method of intertwining very dark metaphoric songs with very clean warm song. this is one of those cake songs that breathes vibrance and still ties nicly with the semi-morbid truth of "the distance", "cool blue reason" or "long line of cars"