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.
"To sing you must first open your mouth
You must have a pair of lungs
and a little knowledge of music
It is not necessary to have an accordion, or a guitar
The essential thing is that I want to sing
Then this is a song, I'm singing." - H. Miller
I breathe in and I create
Rewoke the spirit '68
Fresh meaning to torn ideas
Let's bring life to old clichés
Punch a hole in tradition
Yeah, let's listen to the songs of discontent
The chords and the movement
It could all be so simple
We would all stand baffled by the precision and accuracy
Our jaws would hurt from dropping
so hard, fast and unexpected
It would be the perfect metaphor
It would be the perfect song we'd be singing
I breathe out and I scream
Rewoke Malatestas dream
Inspiration from the past
Focus to the future at last
Fixed dogmas can't substitute
Creative thought and action
We could be dangerous
Art as a real threat
And all it is is words
Words said a million times before
And all it is is a song
A song sung a million times before
I breathe in and I create
Rewoke the spirit '68
I breathe out and I scream
Rewoke Malatestas dream
You must have a pair of lungs
and a little knowledge of music
It is not necessary to have an accordion, or a guitar
The essential thing is that I want to sing
Then this is a song, I'm singing." - H. Miller
I breathe in and I create
Rewoke the spirit '68
Fresh meaning to torn ideas
Let's bring life to old clichés
Punch a hole in tradition
Yeah, let's listen to the songs of discontent
The chords and the movement
It could all be so simple
We would all stand baffled by the precision and accuracy
Our jaws would hurt from dropping
so hard, fast and unexpected
It would be the perfect metaphor
It would be the perfect song we'd be singing
I breathe out and I scream
Rewoke Malatestas dream
Inspiration from the past
Focus to the future at last
Fixed dogmas can't substitute
Creative thought and action
We could be dangerous
Art as a real threat
And all it is is words
Words said a million times before
And all it is is a song
A song sung a million times before
I breathe in and I create
Rewoke the spirit '68
I breathe out and I scream
Rewoke Malatestas dream
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
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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.
Gentle Hour
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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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
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Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
You can find out a lot about what Refused's songs mean if you read their manifestos in the liner notes of The Shape of Punk to Come:
"Pro (in favour) – attest (testify for). The time is now and still we sit and wait for it to become the now that we think we need. The movement of protest has strong traditions and we are far from the first to recognise and use the power of the song and the words from the young poets. We are trembling from the taste of days gone to waste and there is inspiration and there is clarity. Phil Ochs stated firmly “If I have something to say I’m going to say it now” and still protest song 68 is nothing more than a pastiche, a blueprint of seduction of the echoes that once filled the corridors of dorms and boys/girls rooms in an era where rebellion and revolt was present in art and music. From the first until the last, from the taste of longing freedom to the shackles of oppression, the weapon of the artist has always been used."
This song is fucking beautiful Refused revelutionised music
yea...fuckin amazing song by an amazing band....wish they still were around today
just one word...wow
w00t w00t
debord
this song is just unbelievably good. this and 'new noise' are all ive heard by this band, ive gota go out and buy some stuff. im not a huge fan of the lyrics, but the way he delivers them is fucking amazing, he has got a fantastic voice. and the music is so clever - the sudden bursts of noise, and the unexpected but beautiful melodic interlude. and the drumming is incredible.
i love refused, they may not be a well known band but they rock woot woot! i love this song.
amazing flipping song. basically it's an anarchist rallying cry. malatesta's dream refers to ericco malatesta, who wrote the influential piece, "anarchy". he's to anarchists what marx is to communists.
i do believe this song is about what happend in May 1968 in France. It started as a student strike and became a full blown protest with almost half of Frances workers going on strike, which led to the fall of the du Gaulle government...may 1968 has influenced countless songs/poems since the 1970s... if you do not know what the May 1968 protests were i strongly sugest you google or wiki it....oh ya btw good song to.
mexico had its "68" too, search October 2 1968.