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.
Inside her tower she feels free from harm,
I'll lock her up inside safe and warm,
She'll sleep for winter she'll sleep for years,
The garden's overgrown over her tears.
Hide from time,
Hide from time.
Grow the garden year after year,
The roots dug deep she won't be found down here,
Brambles thorns will keep the boys away hey hey,
She needs her sleep she won't play today.
Hide from time,
Hide from time.
I'll keep her heart I'll keep it in one piece,
I'll be with her through years and years of sleep,
I'll make this moment last I'll beat time,
I'll be with her forever make her mine.
Hide from time,
Hide from time.
I'll lock her up inside safe and warm,
She'll sleep for winter she'll sleep for years,
The garden's overgrown over her tears.
Hide from time,
Hide from time.
Grow the garden year after year,
The roots dug deep she won't be found down here,
Brambles thorns will keep the boys away hey hey,
She needs her sleep she won't play today.
Hide from time,
Hide from time.
I'll keep her heart I'll keep it in one piece,
I'll be with her through years and years of sleep,
I'll make this moment last I'll beat time,
I'll be with her forever make her mine.
Hide from time,
Hide from time.
Lyrics submitted by Pixi
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Hide From Time can be compared to the tales of both Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel. by saying that i mean, the tale of Sleeping Beauty involves her being asleep for years and the castle being surrounded by briars to keep daring heros (princes) away. but the one thing that made me think of Rapunzel is the fact that in this case, she is "inside her tower". as for the meaning of the song itself, it is about healing, in many ways. isolation and healing.
I actually used this song in a short drama piece for my A-levels. The interpretation I used worked very well. The piece was a little abstract, and it was about a mother who lost her child, although the child was present in the piece...lol, I'm babbling, my drama isn't relevant. The child was kidnapped and murdered, very sinisterly. The song told the story... I sang the 1st verse at the beginning of the piece:
Inside her tower she feels free from harm, I'll lock her up inside safe and warm, She'll sleep for winter she'll sleep for years, The garden's overgrown over her tears.
The twisted perverted view of the kidnapper. 'She feels safe and warm' - quite a few kidnappers/murderers of the demented variety believe the victim enjoys being in their company or that they have abducted them for their own good. 'I'll lock her up' - quite straightforward. 'She'll sleep for winter, she'll sleep for years' - planning to kill the child, again from a mentally unstable view. 'The garden's overgrown over her tears' - no-one will find her or hear her crying.
Verse two was sung at the end of the piece:
Grow the garden year after year, The roots dug deep she won't be found down here, Brambles thorns will keep the boys away hey hey, She needs her sleep she won't play today.
The plants growing over where the child has been buried, decreasing the chances of her being discovered. The 'boys' possibly the police, seeing as they're sometimes known as 'the boys in blue'. 'She needs her sleep, she won't play today' - these lyrics are suddenly beginning to sound a lot more sinister and disturbing...
The third verse wasnt featured in my drama, but it can still be interpreted on the same theme very easily:
I'll keep her heart I'll keep it in one piece, I'll be with her through years and years of sleep, I'll make this moment last I'll beat time, I'll be with her forever make her mine.
The murderer wants the child all to themself, they believe they can be together forever if the girl 'sleeps'. I'll leave it up to you whether or not to take the line 'I'll keep her heart, I'll keep it in one piece' literally or not. Perhaps the killer commits suicide after the murder 'I'll be with her through years and years of sleep', in order to be with their victim forever?
This song does have fairytale links, which is why it worked extremely well telling the story of a child's murder. It added a very disturbing ironic edge. I know this is a very morbid interpretation, but whether it's 'right' or not, for the purpose it was used this interpretation worked really really well
Again, influences heavily rooted in fairystories eg. Rapunzel. I think this is simply about the healing powers of isolation yet at the same time solitude is seemingly unhealthy. I think Katie Jane sometimes cuts herself off from people and this song talks about "hiding from time" and therefore using solitude as a form of escapism - alone she is safe from people and yet without people we are nothing. Therefore time is meaningless if you are on your own. I read in an interview that she feels she has been denying herself life and it is time to start "living rather than existing". If anyone wants to discuss Queen Adreena etc feel free to e-mail me.
I can relate to this song so much yet again...at least I think... I'm not EXACTLY sure about all of the lyrics.
"Inside her tower she feels free from harm, I'll lock her up inside safe and warm, "
--Sometimes being isolated is comforting. If we're alone we are safe from the harm of others. People can be so cruel and manipulative sometimes... I can easily see why she'd want to lock herself up and "hide from time" . It is true though... we are nothing without other people.
Maybe about her escape from Diasy Chainsaw again. She was looked after and hidden away safe, on the one hand she wante to stay forever in the warm on the other she had to get into the world again