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.
Southern man, better keep your head
Don't forget what your good book says
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burnin' fast
Southern man
I saw cotton and I saw black
Tall white mansions and little shacks
Southern man, when will you pay them back?
I heard screamin' and bullwhips crackin'
How long? How long? How?
Southern man, better keep your head
Don't forget what your good book says
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burnin' fast
Southern man
Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown
I've seen your black man comin' 'round
Swear by God I'm gonna cut him down
I heard screamin' and bullwhips crackin'
How long? How long? How?
Don't forget what your good book says
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burnin' fast
Southern man
I saw cotton and I saw black
Tall white mansions and little shacks
Southern man, when will you pay them back?
I heard screamin' and bullwhips crackin'
How long? How long? How?
Southern man, better keep your head
Don't forget what your good book says
Southern change gonna come at last
Now your crosses are burnin' fast
Southern man
Lily Belle, your hair is golden brown
I've seen your black man comin' 'round
Swear by God I'm gonna cut him down
I heard screamin' and bullwhips crackin'
How long? How long? How?
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Light Up The Sky
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
first of all musicfan17, neil young is bloody amazing. im from britain, and i can tell you, he is very underated here, it amazes me how many people here have never even heard of him, never mind heard his music. There is no doubt that neil young is one of the most talented musicians ever produced. His ability to produce music of all styles with deeply personal, skilful lyrics is nothing short of genius. He is up there with Bob Dylan and The Beatles in my opinion. I'm not from the south and I'm not an expert on history. But what I do know is that the way blacks were treated in America, particularly in the south, was appalling. I understand your point about whites having black friends, I'm sure Martin Luther King had white friends but it was still the case that they had to go to separate schools, they still had to use separate bars, they still had to give up seats on buses for whites. There is no excuse for that behaviour. One of the reasons people fled to America when it was first founded was that they were being persecuted in their own lands, mainly Europe. America was supposed to be the land of the free, a haven for people of all colours. Yet, the very same country was (some may argue still is) guilty of persecuting blacks. musicfan - a poor choice of name since you cannot be a true music fan if your so bitterly opposed to the beauty of neil young's music - your statement was quite ironic. You tried to make a reasoned argument, but you still betrayed a bitterness, the exact same bitterness neil young is discussing in this song! Your intolerance is shown when you cannot accept Neil Young living in your country because he's Canadian. You make fun of Canada, but I didn't see them joining you and my country in our little adventure into Iraq. They, at least, don't have blood on their hands. Whether you like this song or not, I personally think its an amazing song, its certainly gets people talking, at least neil young is prepared to tackle issues others are too scared to tackle, and I agree with the sentiments of this song, that racism is utterly abhorrent and I can't understand how we can't all agree with that
I like your comment it agreed exactly with what I think. I am also British and a huge fan of Neil Young and think he is under-rated. I find it quite ironic that the people who are trying to sound as if nothing happened worthy of writing a song about are the people who prove themselves to be prejudiced. I actually laughed out loud when I read about him saying nothing good came out of Canada.
I was reading your old comment about this song and just wanted to say I agree with you. Especially about the Iraq comment! My family is from Quebec. Wish I still lived there.
@Mr_Soul <br /> <br /> dude you are from britian. you truly wouldn't know the first thing about what this song is about. it would be like me, a southern american, saying i understand you and your kind for tying those indians up to cannons and firing off. you catch my grove?