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.
20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, still alive
It's dragging me under, Don't think I'll recover
A stone in the water, A nail in my shoulder
Just put it together, You think you're so clever
Can we make it better, Climb the mountain together
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
Twenty years older, The city gets colder
Still reaching for cover, We live and we suffer
Just put it together, If you think you're so clever
Can you make it better, Pull the pieces together
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, still alive
It's dragging me under, Don't think I'll recover
But we'll make it better, Climb the mountain together
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's dragging me under, Don't think I'll recover
A stone in the water, A nail in my shoulder
Just put it together, You think you're so clever
Can we make it better, Climb the mountain together
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
Twenty years older, The city gets colder
Still reaching for cover, We live and we suffer
Just put it together, If you think you're so clever
Can you make it better, Pull the pieces together
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, still alive
It's dragging me under, Don't think I'll recover
But we'll make it better, Climb the mountain together
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
It's gonna break, gonna crack
Gonna fall down and smash
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
Paralyse, oxidise, feel us drifting apart
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death
So Well Lyrics as written by Jon Lee Grant Nicholas
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Light Up The Sky
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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@[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.
No Surprises
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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.
Blue
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“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.
its a brilliant song, i'd find it better if they missed out the annoying counting though....
I love the Day In Day Out reference in this song. It's so clever! It's great when bands do that kinda thing.
I think the counting is meant to be ages. Since it starts with the 20s then it says "20 years later" and does the 40s. It's just kinda saying how after all the years they're still alive, like it was a really difficult thing to do.