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.
All the world loves things of beauty and intrigue, these two things I've never had one
Born in this old skin, I'm too sick I can't win, I've lived with this damage too long
My eyes can't behold it, I cannot control this, this feeling that's left in my heart
I've never done no wrong, I don't deserve these bones, please burn up this sin when I'm gone
And I said that this is ugly to me
The world is ugly to me
You are ugly to me
And I am ugly to me
I haven't become all I want to be
I haven't become anything I need to be
I haven't become all I want to be
Suffocate with me
I haven't become anything
Suffer
Why can't you look, why can't you look at me, see what I see
Why can't you feel, why can't you feel like, me feel what I feel
Why can't you hurt, why can't you hurt like me, taste the pain I feel
Why must I die, why must I die for you
It's the ugly truth, well it's ugly
It's making me painless
Born in this old skin, I'm too sick I can't win, I've lived with this damage too long
My eyes can't behold it, I cannot control this, this feeling that's left in my heart
I've never done no wrong, I don't deserve these bones, please burn up this sin when I'm gone
And I said that this is ugly to me
The world is ugly to me
You are ugly to me
And I am ugly to me
I haven't become all I want to be
I haven't become anything I need to be
I haven't become all I want to be
Suffocate with me
I haven't become anything
Suffer
Why can't you look, why can't you look at me, see what I see
Why can't you feel, why can't you feel like, me feel what I feel
Why can't you hurt, why can't you hurt like me, taste the pain I feel
Why must I die, why must I die for you
It's the ugly truth, well it's ugly
It's making me painless
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Ugly is an amazing song about the outlook on life. Someone feeling so ugly that the world is ugly, that everyone is ugly. Not literally but figuratively. Just a disgust in someone's heart that makes everything grey. It talks about how the world loves all the beauty and intrigue, when that becomes all it loves, it becomes ugly, and boring. It also talks about his personal insecurities. He feels alone "why cant you see what I see?" "why cant you feel what i feel?" "why cant you hurt like me? Taste the pain I feel?" like hes the only one with problems, just like we all do. Beautiful song.
I totally agree with Rocknrollwhore. This song is about feeling insecure and all alone in the world. I love this song. Totally describes me so I keep it on repeat for hours. Greatness!
"When i was younger and doing alot of drugs, I felt bad inside, and I felt ugly... so I wrote that song cause I felt like a total piece of shit. I was about 23 or 24 when I wrote that." Scooter wrote it at a time when the band was broken up and he had been diagnosed with an illness. He locked himself in an apartment and wrote a couple of acoustic songs while he was in Atlanta, Georgia.
from coldinside.com
I love these lyrics.
this is my faviort cold song
Absolutely love this song. Used to relate to it real well. Almost wanted to cry when I first heard it. The best Cold song ever written. Theyre a great band, but in my opinion they'll never write as good as this again...
I'm never any good at understanding the "messages" in songs... but this is one of my favourite songs on self-titled so... (For me) I think it's the whole "I don't belong" thing... sort of... It's hating the world, because we all strive for beauty and charm and perfection, and we can't always have it. We see ourselves as ugly, making the world appear ugly, too... We all strive for something better -- we all want to change ourselves so we can be more accepted, and it's more than hard to change. In reality, we don't need to change.
"Why can't you look..." Basically... Why do I feel so much pain because of you... always trying to meet expectations that aren't... possible... You try to appear beautiful to the world, but you only become more ugly and disgusted with yourself. The truth is ugly -- you've become ugly because your beauty wasn't enough to satisfy the...ugly world... But your beauty was more than enough to become everything...
I guess, I'd say, beauty comes from pain... and this song obviously shows that... His pain brought out a beautiful song...
Yeah, that sounded stupid.
@ANdyoucared That didn't sound stupid, that was right on the money.
"all the world loves things of beauty and intrigue these two things i've never had one"
Great Line. Very True Indeed.
I cant' believe this was once THE song my boyfriend related to. Whenever I hear it I start to cry and feel sorry that he had to feel this pain and that the world keeps on threating people this way... No one should feel ugly, only the ones that blame others for being ugly, are the ones that really are
This is a real good song, it's one of my favorites on that CD.