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.
You walked into my house last night
I couldn't help but notice
A light that was long gone
Still burning strong
You were sitting
Your fingers like fuses
Your eyes were cinnamon
You said you'd stand for every known abuse
That was ever
Threatened
To anyone but you
And why should I know better by now
When I'm old enough not to?
While every line speaks the language of love
It never held the meaning I was thinking of
And I can't decide over right or wrong
I guess sometimes you need the place where you belong
Some may sing the wrong words to the wrong melody
It's little things like this that matter to me
Others feel that you should stand
For every known abuse to hand
And all the things that they could never see
You said you stood for every known abuse
That was ever
Promised
To anyone like you
Don't you wish you knew better by now
When you're old enough not to?
When every line speaks the language of love
It never held the meaning I was thinking of
And I can't decide over right or wrong
You left the feeling that I just do not belong
(do not belong, do not belong, do not belong)
One drink too many and a joke gone too far
I see a face drive like a stolen car
Gets harder to hide when you're hitching a ride
Harder to hide what you really saw
Oh yeah, you stand for every known abuse
That I've ever seen my way through
Don't I wish I knew better by now?
Well I think I'm starting to
When every line speaks the language of love
It never held the meaning I was thinking of
And I lost the line between right or wrong
I just want to find the place where I belong
(why should you know better by now
When you're old enough not to?
I wish I knew better by now
When I'm old enough not to)
I couldn't help but notice
A light that was long gone
Still burning strong
You were sitting
Your fingers like fuses
Your eyes were cinnamon
You said you'd stand for every known abuse
That was ever
Threatened
To anyone but you
And why should I know better by now
When I'm old enough not to?
While every line speaks the language of love
It never held the meaning I was thinking of
And I can't decide over right or wrong
I guess sometimes you need the place where you belong
Some may sing the wrong words to the wrong melody
It's little things like this that matter to me
Others feel that you should stand
For every known abuse to hand
And all the things that they could never see
You said you stood for every known abuse
That was ever
Promised
To anyone like you
Don't you wish you knew better by now
When you're old enough not to?
When every line speaks the language of love
It never held the meaning I was thinking of
And I can't decide over right or wrong
You left the feeling that I just do not belong
(do not belong, do not belong, do not belong)
One drink too many and a joke gone too far
I see a face drive like a stolen car
Gets harder to hide when you're hitching a ride
Harder to hide what you really saw
Oh yeah, you stand for every known abuse
That I've ever seen my way through
Don't I wish I knew better by now?
Well I think I'm starting to
When every line speaks the language of love
It never held the meaning I was thinking of
And I lost the line between right or wrong
I just want to find the place where I belong
(why should you know better by now
When you're old enough not to?
I wish I knew better by now
When I'm old enough not to)
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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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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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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.
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This song is totally about breaking up with someone (he probably was abusive), then he comes back to visit not too long after, and she sleeps with him, and she's totally lost and out of sorts as to what to do about the situation, him, and the previous relationship.