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.
When I was only seventeen
My head was full of brilliant dreams
My heart would call and I would gladly go
At twenty one the world was mine
And I was yours and you're divine
And nothing else would matter to us so
I don't believe in destiny
I don't believe in love
I don't believe that anything will ever be enough...
Man you should have seen us
On the way to Venus
Walking on the Milky Way
It was quite a day hey hey...
Walking on the big stuff
Acting like we're real tough
Baby we were on our way
So what do you say hey hey.
As time goes by, reality
Destroys your hope and dignity
There's nothing left but shadows on the wall
But just remember who you are
And where you've been you've come so far
And never ever let them see you fall
I don't believe in miracles
I don't believe in truth
I don't believe that anything can recreate your youth
Man you should have seen us
On the way to Venus
Walking on the Milky Way
It was quite a day hey hey...
Walking on the big stuff
Acting like we're real tough
Baby we were on our way
So what do you say hey, hey
Man you should have seen us
On the way to Venus
Walking on the Milky Way
It was quite a day hey, hey...
Walking on the big stuff
Acting like we're real tough
Baby we were on our way
So what do you say hey, hey
My head was full of brilliant dreams
My heart would call and I would gladly go
At twenty one the world was mine
And I was yours and you're divine
And nothing else would matter to us so
I don't believe in destiny
I don't believe in love
I don't believe that anything will ever be enough...
Man you should have seen us
On the way to Venus
Walking on the Milky Way
It was quite a day hey hey...
Walking on the big stuff
Acting like we're real tough
Baby we were on our way
So what do you say hey hey.
As time goes by, reality
Destroys your hope and dignity
There's nothing left but shadows on the wall
But just remember who you are
And where you've been you've come so far
And never ever let them see you fall
I don't believe in miracles
I don't believe in truth
I don't believe that anything can recreate your youth
Man you should have seen us
On the way to Venus
Walking on the Milky Way
It was quite a day hey hey...
Walking on the big stuff
Acting like we're real tough
Baby we were on our way
So what do you say hey, hey
Man you should have seen us
On the way to Venus
Walking on the Milky Way
It was quite a day hey, hey...
Walking on the big stuff
Acting like we're real tough
Baby we were on our way
So what do you say hey, hey
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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.
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The whole song seems to be about falling in love. The first verse is about him meeting someone at seventeen and by twenty one they were happily in love with each other. Towards the end of the verse it seems that they were splitting up - as he says about not believing in destiny, love or anything being enough
The chorus that mentions walking on the milky way and going to venus - venus is supposed to be the God of love so it's the imagination of this perfect marriage going all the way to Venus.
Then the second verse is the person then looking back, even though at the beginning the marriage seemed perfect, over time reality has destroyed what you hoped the marriage would grow into, and there is nothing left but memories (shadows on the wall), and the person who they've now split up with seems to want to ruin them. But they're saying don't let them ruin you, don't let them see you fall, instead think about how much you've achieved, how far you've gone.
Then the line about not believing in miracles, truth and anything recreating youth - he's saying basically that even though when he was young he thought it was a miracle that he met this amazing person and that the person would always be truthful to him, this wasn't the case, and that nothing will ever recreate that innocence of youth, of believing and trusting the person you marry.
Then in the following verses again he's reminiscing over the time when they first met and they were on the way to the god of Love (Venus), and it was quite a day (the wedding day).