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.
Fill my head with your nonsense
You breathe my breath 'till I turn red
Close your eyes try to follow me
If you close your eyes you can become me
You can park your shoes on my front step
Then gently walk barefoot through my sunken chest
I'll shade my eyes from the burning sun
But feel confident 'cause we're as bold as love
And laughter
Wake me up when the day is late
So I can watch the sunset and go back to bed
And dream so real the fantastic state
Psychodramatic means to uncertain ends
I'll scare you blind with my confidence
As cool as Jesus and his twelve best friends
The reason we can do these things is that the Earth has told of an outrageous spring....
Remembered
We'll meet for breakfast in the sunroom
The feeling in my soul as sweet as good perfume
Leave your sex at the door come in
There's ecstasy for all, no need to leave your name
Pirouettes we will make in game
On the ceiling movies of our lives will play
The reason we can do these things
Is that our minds are clouded
And we can't see straight
Maybe I've played my part
But it's a players art
Me and my friends we were all just living... playing
I've heard the sound that silence makes
And I realize the world can break
From the inside out and outside in
On a breath of wind
You breathe my breath 'till I turn red
Close your eyes try to follow me
If you close your eyes you can become me
You can park your shoes on my front step
Then gently walk barefoot through my sunken chest
I'll shade my eyes from the burning sun
But feel confident 'cause we're as bold as love
And laughter
Wake me up when the day is late
So I can watch the sunset and go back to bed
And dream so real the fantastic state
Psychodramatic means to uncertain ends
I'll scare you blind with my confidence
As cool as Jesus and his twelve best friends
The reason we can do these things is that the Earth has told of an outrageous spring....
Remembered
We'll meet for breakfast in the sunroom
The feeling in my soul as sweet as good perfume
Leave your sex at the door come in
There's ecstasy for all, no need to leave your name
Pirouettes we will make in game
On the ceiling movies of our lives will play
The reason we can do these things
Is that our minds are clouded
And we can't see straight
Maybe I've played my part
But it's a players art
Me and my friends we were all just living... playing
I've heard the sound that silence makes
And I realize the world can break
From the inside out and outside in
On a breath of wind
Lyrics submitted by zekey baby
So Gently We Go Lyrics as written by Christopher Koshowski Andrew P Koshowski
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Concur with the last comment. This is their best song. 15 years old and still fantastic. There is an acoustic version kicking around, which is quite good, too.
This song is one of those rare songs that truly taps into your soul and almost makes it seem like it's your own emotions that are unfolding as the song goes on. I can't pretend to say that I fully understand what the lyrics mean but I have to agree with the comments made above regarding the cryptic coding and almost dream-like imagery the song lets on. It feels like someone trying to remember things way in the past perhaps when they were very young and innocent, and them welcoming somebody else (an old friend perhaps) back into that world of ecstacy with them. The drug implications may or may not be there, it's tough to say but that mystery is usually what makes songs great. Either way I love this song and was way too young to understand the depth of this band when it came out ;)