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.
If this isn't what you see
It doesn't make you blind
Yea, if this doesn't make you feel
It doesn't mean you've died
Where the river's high
Where the river's high
If you don't want to be seen
Well you don't have to hide
And if you don't want to believe
Well you don't have to try to feel alive, yea
Alive in the superunknown
Alive in the superunknown
Alive in the superunknown
First it steals your mind and then it steals your
If this doesn't make you free
It doesn't mean you're tied
If this doesn't take you down
It doesn't mean you're high
If this doesn't make you smile
Yea, you don't have to cry
If this isn't making sense
Yea, it doesn't make it lies, oh
Alive in the superunknown
Alive in the superunknown
Alive in the superunknown
First it steals your mind and then it steals your soul, oh
Get yourself afraid
Get yourself alone
Get yourself contained
Get yourself control, control
Yeah, oh, yeah
Oh, oh
(Alive in the superunknown)
First it steals your mind and then it steals your
First it steals your mind and then it steals your
First it steals your mind and then it steals your soul
It doesn't make you blind
Yea, if this doesn't make you feel
It doesn't mean you've died
Where the river's high
Where the river's high
If you don't want to be seen
Well you don't have to hide
And if you don't want to believe
Well you don't have to try to feel alive, yea
Alive in the superunknown
Alive in the superunknown
Alive in the superunknown
First it steals your mind and then it steals your
If this doesn't make you free
It doesn't mean you're tied
If this doesn't take you down
It doesn't mean you're high
If this doesn't make you smile
Yea, you don't have to cry
If this isn't making sense
Yea, it doesn't make it lies, oh
Alive in the superunknown
Alive in the superunknown
Alive in the superunknown
First it steals your mind and then it steals your soul, oh
Get yourself afraid
Get yourself alone
Get yourself contained
Get yourself control, control
Yeah, oh, yeah
Oh, oh
(Alive in the superunknown)
First it steals your mind and then it steals your
First it steals your mind and then it steals your
First it steals your mind and then it steals your soul
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
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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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I agree with most of the earlier comments about the superunknown being life/the universe/perspective.
Why is it that in almost EVERY song there are always those people adamantly thinking it's a reference to drugs???? Open your minds a little, holy shit! Maybe some songs are obviously about drugs, but it's like you pull drug usage from out of your asses sometimes. I'm against the "War on Drugs" because it's all a heaping pile of ignorance and lies. I'm for responsible recreational drug usage, but life and songs are more than just drugs...
And "Supah Dude", this song is in every way contradicting what you think it's about, by your last comment: "If you don't agree with me, you're wrong." Everything is about perspective, there is no objective right or wrong.