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.
do you care. do you try. do you live. do you want to die. hold on brother of mine. try to see yourself from the inside. hold on brother of mine. i can see the want in your eyes. you said you wanted everything and more than i ever had. you stood beside yourself and said that you would never be satisfied. whatever happened to the reasons why we turned our lives around. are you pretending it was all for nothing and all just wasted time. doesn't that make you a liar. do you remember when we said that we would never be torn away. why can't you understand that what you've done doesn't have to be who you are. i know you're broken by the way you look at life with empty eyes. and now you're telling me that everything is fine
Lyrics submitted by PLANES
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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Great version of a great song,
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I'm disappointed that no one has commented on this one b/c its one of my faves by Brandtson. It seems like this one's about how someone turned their life around, but then fell back into old destructive habits, and the singer(s) are telling the person that they're worth more than that and they don't have to live that way.
because the memebers of brandtson are christian and their early stuff seems to have a bit more of a message I personally think that it's about someone who became christian but found it hard to keep up with the lifestyle and fell back into destructive habits as jfphile says and to me it also is like saying "don't give up"