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.
And into the sea
Goes pretty England and me
Around the bay of Biscay
And back for tea
Hit traffic on the dogger bank
Up the Thames to find a taxi rank
Sail on by with the tide
And go to sleep
And the radio says
This is a low
But it won't hurt you
When you're alone
It will be there with you
Finding ways to stay solo
Up the Tyne, Forth and Cramity
There's a low in the high forties
Saturday's locked away on the pier
Not fast enough, dear
And on the malin head
Blackpool looks blue and red
And the queen, she's gone round the bend
Jumped off Land's End
And the radio says
This is a low
But it won't hurt you
When you're alone
It will be there with you
Finding ways to stay solo
This is a low
But it won't hurt you
When you're alone
It will be there with you
This is a low
But it won't hurt you
When you're alone
It will be there with you
Finding ways to stay solo
Goes pretty England and me
Around the bay of Biscay
And back for tea
Hit traffic on the dogger bank
Up the Thames to find a taxi rank
Sail on by with the tide
And go to sleep
And the radio says
This is a low
But it won't hurt you
When you're alone
It will be there with you
Finding ways to stay solo
Up the Tyne, Forth and Cramity
There's a low in the high forties
Saturday's locked away on the pier
Not fast enough, dear
And on the malin head
Blackpool looks blue and red
And the queen, she's gone round the bend
Jumped off Land's End
And the radio says
This is a low
But it won't hurt you
When you're alone
It will be there with you
Finding ways to stay solo
This is a low
But it won't hurt you
When you're alone
It will be there with you
This is a low
But it won't hurt you
When you're alone
It will be there with you
Finding ways to stay solo
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by Mellow_Harsher, tpfang56, bluebelll
This Is a Low Lyrics as written by David Rowntree Damon Albarn
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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Great version of a great song,
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There are a lot of references to the shipping forecast in this.
Around the bay of BISCAY and back for tea Hit traffic on the DOGGER bank Up the THAMES to find a taxi rank Sail on by with the tide and go asleep And the radio says...
Up the TYNE, FORTH and CROMARTY There's a low in the high FORTIES And saturday's locked away on the pier Not fast enough dear On the MALIN HEAD, blackpool looks blue and red
All names of regions in the shipping forecast, except Malin Head which is a coastal station. The 'low' is referring to an area of low pressure. 'Blackpool looks blue and red' refers to the representation of warm and cold fronts on weather charts. 'Sail on by with the tide and go to sleep' refers to the piece of music 'Sailing By' which is played just before the shipping forecast starts. You'd go to sleep after, because the extended forecast at 12:48am is the last thing broadcast on BBC Radio 4 before closedown and it switches over to the BBC World Service.