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.
Not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking
I can still see you standing there
Midnight wind blowin' thorough your hair, remember
Kisses sweet in the salty air
When love was forever
Turn the page and we fade to blue
The scene has changed now I'm without you
Well, you just walked away when the act was through
And the dream was over
It was almost like a movie, the way you said goodbye
You must have spent a lot of time, rehearsing each and every line
Now there's not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking
Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye, not a dry eye in the house
The greatest story was you and me
We had it all, we had everything
But now the story's done, it's just history
The last act is over
Your every line had the sweetest sound
Your every touch turned my whole world around
But then the lights came up and my world crashed down
End of show,iit's over
It was almost like a movie, those nights we touched the stars
Time stood still for you and i, now it's sad enough to make you cry
And there's not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking
Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye, not a dry eye in the house
Act One
The story's just begun
Act Two
I fell in love with you
Act Three
Knew it was meant to be
Act Four
You don't love me no more
Not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking
Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye, not a dry eye
Not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking
Not a dry eye in the house
Not a dry eye in the house
Not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking
I can still see you standing there
Midnight wind blowin' thorough your hair, remember
Kisses sweet in the salty air
When love was forever
Turn the page and we fade to blue
The scene has changed now I'm without you
Well, you just walked away when the act was through
And the dream was over
It was almost like a movie, the way you said goodbye
You must have spent a lot of time, rehearsing each and every line
Now there's not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking
Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye, not a dry eye in the house
The greatest story was you and me
We had it all, we had everything
But now the story's done, it's just history
The last act is over
Your every line had the sweetest sound
Your every touch turned my whole world around
But then the lights came up and my world crashed down
End of show,iit's over
It was almost like a movie, those nights we touched the stars
Time stood still for you and i, now it's sad enough to make you cry
And there's not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking
Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye, not a dry eye in the house
Act One
The story's just begun
Act Two
I fell in love with you
Act Three
Knew it was meant to be
Act Four
You don't love me no more
Not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking
Not a smile left on my face
The ending's just too sad to take
And there's not a dry eye, not a dry eye
Not a dry eye in the house
After love's curtain comes down
Listen and you'll hear the sound
Hear the sound of a heart breaking, breaking
Not a dry eye in the house
Not a dry eye in the house
Not a dry eye in the house
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar, edited by Loranys
Not a Dry Eye in the House Lyrics as written by Diane Warren
Lyrics © Realsongs
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"It was almost like a movie - the way you said goodbye You must have spent a lot of time rehearsing each and every line"
The song is not a metaphor as suggested above, but the realisation that his lover was an actress. It is interesting that the song was written by a woman.
Of course there might be a deeper irony intended too, a sort of meta-irony, since of course singers are actors playing with our emotions...