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.
There you are
As you always were
In bathing light
And naked blur
You're a part of me
Eternal one
By grand design
And setting sun
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
Last night I turned around
And thought I saw myself turning
Inside the strangest dream of life
Unloved and cities burning
Awake in my arms
You cry unharmed
Our age of the hours
While they still devour all
So take it all
I doubt if we
Will know it's gone
'Cause we've been here
Since time began
Begged God awake and make these plans
Wound opens
Reveal this broken man
And soon there's notions of blood on his hands
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
Last night I turned around
I thought I saw myself turning
Last night I turned around
And thought I watched the world ending
Inside the crushing down
I felt a pang the tide was turning
Destroyed in the wake
The jealous ingrates
Who'll tear this world down
To spite God above
With his own love
With his own love
If you wait
If you wait
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
As you always were
In bathing light
And naked blur
You're a part of me
Eternal one
By grand design
And setting sun
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
Last night I turned around
And thought I saw myself turning
Inside the strangest dream of life
Unloved and cities burning
Awake in my arms
You cry unharmed
Our age of the hours
While they still devour all
So take it all
I doubt if we
Will know it's gone
'Cause we've been here
Since time began
Begged God awake and make these plans
Wound opens
Reveal this broken man
And soon there's notions of blood on his hands
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
Last night I turned around
I thought I saw myself turning
Last night I turned around
And thought I watched the world ending
Inside the crushing down
I felt a pang the tide was turning
Destroyed in the wake
The jealous ingrates
Who'll tear this world down
To spite God above
With his own love
With his own love
If you wait
If you wait
If you wait I will wait
Taste I will taste
If you love I will love
Run I will run
To my last breath
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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.
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.
Amazing
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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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
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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.
Lots of spiritual thoughts, biblical allusions etc in this song. I should say from the outset that this is a hugely important song to me. I'd known it for years and had loved it, but on the day I became a Christian this song in particular gained new meaning for me. Prior to this I'd though it was about a girl, and in part I think it is, but it's also largely about God.
The moment I became a Christian, the first line, "There you are, As you always were" suddenly became about discovering that the God I sought and found had always been there, even though I'd not been aware of his presence around me, but then He, the eternal one became part of me, which had always been part of his grand design from the beginning. It was beautiful, and in that moment I decided to follow and do whatever He wanted me to; to wait, to taste, to love, to run.
The night before I'd literally been struggling with my lack of joy and the feeling of being both unloved and unlovable. It's this sense of being unloved by God which causes us the fight and kill each other, to set cities alight. God is not harmed by this, but mourns at our futility.
The brokenness of humanity without God is revealed by Him in that moment of revelation. The broken man with blood on his hands is Cain, who killed his brother in jealousy because he felt unloved by God.
We then come to the part of the song which is about judgement. The world ends as God brings his judgement on humanity who rejected His love, and who use the freedom His love gives to kill and destroy His beloved creation, but those who know and accept His love still wait, taste, love and run.