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.
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"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.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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.
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.
This is one of those timeless songs that hits one deeply emotionally. It's all about how the past seems to always be better in retrospect than the present. In the end, it's only your memories that define who you were and who you are.
I find it absolutely amazing that so much can be said in only 4 lines.
I think the last line is interesting
"Preserve your memories, they're all that's left you"
What does "they're all that's left you" mean? It's not "they're all that's left OF you" or "they're all that's left, you see". What has left you? I've always wondered this.
@archard "They're all that's left you" means pretty much the same thing as "They're all that's left to you." That is, they're all you have left. (A hardcore grammar geek would go on to explain exactly why "all that's left you" either is or isn't grammatically correct, and if it is, what the grammatical function of "left" is in the lyric. Alas, I am only a softcore grammar geek. I think it's grammatically correct, but I have no clue what part of speech "left" is.)
@archard ie, "They're all you have left."
archard: I've always heard this song conjoined with Old Friends and so I think when they say "preserve your memories, they're all that's left you" it means your memories may have been forgotten in old age, but your friends are still there for you.
They're both very sweet songs, I like to imagine myself listening to this in 50 years' time and feeling the full effect, but the bewilderment I feel when I hear it is similar to how Paul Simon felt when writing it, and that's also a beautifully serene feeling.
From working in an assisted living home I see what this song represents every day. Paul Simon, in his own words, describes what it is to become old. Memories leave you at your old age, what we call dimentia, and it affects a lot of older people. That's why you must preserve your memories. While the actual experiences of you living those memories will never die, your remembering of those memories unfortunately will.
@bwisner33 As our population ages, more and more people will have to deal with parents (and other loved ones) who are losing their memories. I've always loved this song and found it incredibly simple yet profound .... only more so as time goes on.<br /> <br /> The title of the song (and album) "Bookends" (play on words: book ends) is brilliant. As another poster mentioned, there is so much conveyed in very few lines.
My absolute favorite. Short and absolutely beautiful. All of Simon and Garfunkel's lyrics are just... jaw-dropping. I'm a young Simon and Garfunkel song, I'm only 15, I became hooked when I was watching one of my favorite movies, Girl, Interrupted and this song was played. So, I found out who it was by and discovered my mom's Simon and Garfunkel album and I've been obsessive ever since.
Am I the only one who thinks they use this in any 60's movie whenever they convey a loss of innocence? Well anyways, it may be a short tune, but it's pretty damn good. :)
I love the beginning of Girl, Interrupted when they play this song. For me, this song sums up everything about being innocent and not wanting to lose it. Great song.
yeah i agree. Girl, Interrupted is how i know of this song. and i just feel like it completely describes how you feel when you grow up and know things are changing. the mood is amazing and i wish it was longer :(
amazing, i've always been a huge paul simon fan since i was a kid, i grew up listening to him from my mom, and i always liked this song, then i had a death of a good friend recently and this song along with the lyrics from the other bookends song really hit me, "can you imagine us years from today, sharing a park bench quietly", and he was my best friend and i could imagine that, then when this part of the song starts its like the feeling of the harsh reality that its not going to happen now, because memories are all that i have of them now. very moving song for me
This song was the first song I learned to play on the guitar, heh. Anyway, listening to the lyrics, they remind me of my nephew who passed away not even a year ago. It's one of my favourite songs.