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.
So ya
Thought ya
Might like to go to the show
To feel the warm thrill of confusion
That space cadet glow
Tell me is something eluding you, sunshine?
Is this not what you expected to see?
If you want to find out what's behind these cold eyes
You'll just have to claw your way through this disguise
Lights, turn on the sound effects, action
Drop it, drop it on 'em, drop it on them
Thought ya
Might like to go to the show
To feel the warm thrill of confusion
That space cadet glow
Tell me is something eluding you, sunshine?
Is this not what you expected to see?
If you want to find out what's behind these cold eyes
You'll just have to claw your way through this disguise
Lights, turn on the sound effects, action
Drop it, drop it on 'em, drop it on them
Lyrics submitted by jayboss, edited by Mellow_Harsher, digitalmanMKII, Starsonde
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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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”
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
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.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
These are the wrong lyrics. "In the Flesh?" is the first track of the album, and it ends with "If you wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes, you'll just have to claw your way through this disguise." It's not the "are there any queers" track. That's "In the Flesh," (no question mark at the end of the track title) on the second disc after comfortably numb.
Sorry to be anal, but both in the flesh lyrics on this site are same song, and the two songs are different.
I appreciate your "anal-ness" I thought that too
definitely true
Am I the only one to notice that these are not the lyrics to: "In the flesh?"? Which are:
So ya Thought ya Might like to go to the show. To feel the warm thrill of confusion That space cadet glow. Tell me is something eluding you, sunshine? Is this not what you expected to see? If you wanna find out what's behind these cold eyes You'll just have to claw your way through this disguise.
The lyrics provided are from "In the flesh", with no question mark, from side four.
Kind of an important detail no?
Fixed.
Now they're both from Part I...
I love how the two versions of this song show the metamorphosis from a bright eyed, budding rock star, too an arrogant megalomaniac. The song remains the same, but the prospective/lyrics of the artist have changed drastically.
I personally separate these two songs from the rest of the wall as 'Pinks' song. His big hit that bought him to stardom, while the rest of the album is poetic story telling.
These lyrics are for "In the Flesh", without the question mark.
Here's my interpretation of that one:
When I listen to the story of The Wall and hear this one, my mind split in two and I think like this:
I can either take the lyrics strictly, based on the songs that preceded them:
Pink is now completely isolated from the outside world by his psychological wall. Because of all the things that happened in his life, namely:
His father dies in WWII, he has an overprotective mother, he has a very abusive teacher who give him a very hard time in school, he become a rock star, then eventually start to question whether his fans really likes him, gets bored with his life as a celebrity, starts doing drugs, cheates on his girlfriend*, his girlfriend (whom is the real love of his life) leaves him for another man while he is on tour, he then gets his new girlfriend to join him in his hotel room, but finds that nothing is exciting anymore, so he smashes his hotel room out of frustration and scares his new girlfriend away.
Because of this anger and frustration that's been building up during all of his life, the drugs (see "Comfortably Numb") and his recently failed relationship, he becomes explosively angry inside. His doctor revives him from a drug overdose so he can perform, and they drag him up on stage (see "The Show Must Go On",) which proves to be a very bad mistake.
Pink then throws out all of his anger and frustration onto his fans. Why? Because at that time, he feels that he has to blame someone for his mistakes, he thinks they just scream and yell, and they all look different.
I then begin to realise what a confused person Pink really is, and he later realises this himself (see "Stop".)
Or, I can see it from a wider perspective; namely that if you have a very grim childhood and never really find your way in life, you will eventually ask yourself why this all happened and who is to blame for it.
If you are unlucky, you can become like Pink in this song and blame anyone that seems to act and look a little different, and stay that way all your life. You then think that you have found a solution for all your problems and someone to blame, but in reality, you are just a confused person who needs to open up to the outside world. Because if you don't, you will never truly understand what your problem really is or how the world really works, and we have learned from history what can happen in extreme cases.
This is no official interpretation, just my personal thoughts.
See comments for star (*) explanations.
*) In he movie "Pink Floyd - The Wall", Pink actually seems to be loyal to his girlfriend until he finds out that she has found another man; he isn't shown with another girl until he learns about it. On the album, it's the other way around.<br /> <br /> I forgot to add the second (**), but I know that Roger Waters used his personal experiences from the "Animals" tour for the "The Wall" story. But again, this is just how I feel and think when I hear the song.
holy shit this song rocks...especially when its in the wall (movie). its like...insane. razormasticator, dream theater covers it? im def gonna go get it...im not a HUGE dream theater fan but ive heard some songs and they rock. they covered master of puppets-metallica, and that was insane.
this song is great, but is better on Is There Anybody Out There? The Wall Live 80-81. The announcer is talking and they cut right into the song while he's talking. Its great
no no no. in an interview with waters, he said that he felt alienated from the audience when he performed. he realized that there were fans in the audience who couldnt even hear the music but still were screaming. he realized that people were there for the experience rather than the music which pink floyd hated. they were all about the music. This song is about people who are there for the experience "to feel the warm thrill of confusion" in the end of this song you can here someone saying to bomb the audience. in another interview waters said that he imagined dropping bombs on the audience and how they wouldnt even notice because they were so wrapped up in the 'experiece'
the man in this song is attempting to prove to his "audience" that his first impression may seem alarming, but before making judgements, he wants the people to explore what molded him into what he is.
I aint heard this,but Dream Theater do a rocking cover of it.
this is about how people who go to shows have problems