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 was a time I saw the light
But that light has died, leaving permanent night
Tell me, who blew out the fire on the sun?
Who swallowed the stars and shot down the moon?
Tell me who could've caused this tragic loss
Now that the light's been murdered, I'm forever lost
And I'm here in the blackened solemn night
All alone with the tears that insist to be cried
The moonlight was once, but is no more
The suicidal stars fall, dead and torn
Should the sun decide to rise yet again?
Or will the darkness remain my only friend?
Pathetic, it seems, to have looked to the clouds
When things got hard, and now the sky's falling down
And alone, I must find the way to your heart
Betrayed by the light, surrounded by dark
The sunlight was once my only friend
How stupid to think it'd be there in the end
And I'm here in the blackened solemn night
All alone with the tears that insist to be cried
The moonlight was once, but is no more
The suicidal stars fall, dead and torn
Should the sun decide to rise yet again?
Or will the darkness remain my only friend?
There was a time I saw the light
But that light has died, leaving permanent night
Now that you've killed the moon, the sun, and the stars
I'm blinded by the final dark...
And I'm here in the blackened solemn night
All alone with the tears that insist to be cried
The moonlight was once, but is no more
The suicidal stars fall, dead and torn
Should the sun decide to rise yet again?
Or will the darkness remain my only friend?
There was a time I saw the light...
But that light has died, leaving permanent night
Tell me, who blew out the fire on the sun?
Who swallowed the stars and shot down the moon?
Tell me who could've caused this tragic loss
Now that the light's been murdered, I'm forever lost
And I'm here in the blackened solemn night
All alone with the tears that insist to be cried
The moonlight was once, but is no more
The suicidal stars fall, dead and torn
Should the sun decide to rise yet again?
Or will the darkness remain my only friend?
Pathetic, it seems, to have looked to the clouds
When things got hard, and now the sky's falling down
And alone, I must find the way to your heart
Betrayed by the light, surrounded by dark
The sunlight was once my only friend
How stupid to think it'd be there in the end
And I'm here in the blackened solemn night
All alone with the tears that insist to be cried
The moonlight was once, but is no more
The suicidal stars fall, dead and torn
Should the sun decide to rise yet again?
Or will the darkness remain my only friend?
There was a time I saw the light
But that light has died, leaving permanent night
Now that you've killed the moon, the sun, and the stars
I'm blinded by the final dark...
And I'm here in the blackened solemn night
All alone with the tears that insist to be cried
The moonlight was once, but is no more
The suicidal stars fall, dead and torn
Should the sun decide to rise yet again?
Or will the darkness remain my only friend?
There was a time I saw the light...
Lyrics submitted by alex_is_in_love
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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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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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,