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.
I don't want to see you go,
I don't even want to be there
I will cover up my eyes
And pray it goes away
You've only lived a minute of your life
I must be dreaming,
Please stop screaming
I don't like to hear you cry
You just don't know
How deep that cuts me
So I will cover up my eyes
And it will go away
You've only lived a minute of your life
I must be dreaming,
Please stop screaming
Steven
I hear my name (Steven)
Is someone calling me?
I hear my name (Steven)
That icy breath,
It whispers screams of pain
I don't want to feel you die,
But if that's the way
That God has planned you,
I'll put pennies on your eyes
And it will go away, see?
You've only lived a minute of your life
I must be dreaming,
Please stop screaming
(Steven) (Is someone calling me? No)
(Steven)
(I think I hear a voice,
It's outside the door)
(Steven) I hear my name
(Steven) (Is someone calling me?
I hear my name)
(Steven) (What do you want?)
(Steven) (What do you want?)
(What do you want?) (Steven)
(I hear my name)
I don't even want to be there
I will cover up my eyes
And pray it goes away
You've only lived a minute of your life
I must be dreaming,
Please stop screaming
I don't like to hear you cry
You just don't know
How deep that cuts me
So I will cover up my eyes
And it will go away
You've only lived a minute of your life
I must be dreaming,
Please stop screaming
Steven
I hear my name (Steven)
Is someone calling me?
I hear my name (Steven)
That icy breath,
It whispers screams of pain
I don't want to feel you die,
But if that's the way
That God has planned you,
I'll put pennies on your eyes
And it will go away, see?
You've only lived a minute of your life
I must be dreaming,
Please stop screaming
(Steven) (Is someone calling me? No)
(Steven)
(I think I hear a voice,
It's outside the door)
(Steven) I hear my name
(Steven) (Is someone calling me?
I hear my name)
(Steven) (What do you want?)
(Steven) (What do you want?)
(What do you want?) (Steven)
(I hear my name)
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This record is a concept album about a necropheliac serial killer. The killer is Steven (Sr.) - by the time we get to the song Steven, it is about his unborn child Steven Jr. and the murder of the mother because, as a living woman, she just didn't turn him on.
All three tell their stories in this song, and there is a fourth character - the deep voice - that is supposed to be an angelic figure that takes away the soul of Steven Jr. during the cutting out of the baby phase of the killing.
This was the first killing for Steven - He has come to identify himself with spiders as killing is considered natural to them, and if he is a spider, then he is not insane.
The conclusion to this story is the record - Along Came a Spider.
I have been an Alice nut since the mid 80's or when Constrictor came out so of course I had to go out and get all the old ones as well. I have to say that your dead on correct. I know your comment is dated a but but I had to reply....
I have met Alice. He has confirmed this. Good job.
I wish I had asked how Wind Up Toy, The Last Temptation and Welcome 2 my Nightmare fit into this.
I haven't read through all the lyrics of the Welcome to My Nightmare album, but considering this song goes the most with "Years Ago", the way I see it is that a man's child (steven) was deformed ("broken inside Mom") and died only a few minutes after birth. This made the father go insane and create his child again as another one of his own personalities, where this child began to grow up. This is just a thought though. Even if its wrong, it's pretty cool, right?
Years Ago, Steven and The Awakening are three parts to the one story. I think its about a man who k has a split personality; part of him is still a little boy. He is crazy and mixed up and in his mind (the man's and the little boys mind) his wife and mother are the same person (hmm is this making any sense??) Hence his wife is calling his name but in his psychotic state he thinks its his mum calling. Its kinda a fight for his manhood - maybe both his wife and mother are very dominating. He snaps and kills his wife because she keeps calling his name and while he is killing her he is in some kinda weird state of denial "I must be dreaming please stop screaming" In "The Awakening" he wakes up from this dream state and sees "crimson spots" and goes looking for his wife but realises that the "crimson spots" signifying blood are dripping from his hand and he sings "they make me feel like a man" Please someone respond to this as I would like to know other people's thoughts.
The whole "Welcome to my Nightmare" album is a story about Steven. The start of the story is Steven beginning his nightmare, "Welcome to my Nightmare." The nightmare begins with Steven caught in a spider's web were he believes he must obey the black widow to survive, "The Black Widow." Then in "Some Folks" Steven talks about his love for murdering women and their dead corpses. He then sings about abusing his wife in "Only Women Bleed" which leads to him dreaming of having sex with a female corpse, "Cold Ethyl." He reveals that he had a bad childhood and refuses to be a man in "Years Ago." He goes on a rampage from his lost innocence, unknowingly murdering his wife while sleep walking hearing her scream his name,STEVEN! in "Steven." He awakens and finds out that he has murdered his wife when he sees the blood stains on his hands in "The Awakening." As a result of realizing that it was no dream and that he killed his wife he tries to escape with alcohol in "Escape." He returns in other songs like, "Wing Up Toy" where he admits that he believes he is still a child and is lost in a nightmare.
This song is totally amazing. Someone shed light on it...
It's about a child named Steven, who deeply menatlly disfigured. This album was the first ina series of concept albums about the character Steven: Welcome to my Nightmare, The Last Temptation, and he shares a cell with the killer from "Along Came A Spider. The deal with Steven is that he feels like he grew up to fast and never ahd a chance to live out his child hood (Michael Jackson Anyone?). He's getting temped to go down an evil, deveous road to his fate by Vicnet Price of all people. (So Fucking AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!) We can note that he later becomes a serial killer in later albums. This song depicts him losing some one dear to him. Could be a family member or his younger self: "I don't want to see you go", "I don't want to see you die." As soon as the loved one slips away, he hears voices, perhaps form hell, calling out to him. <br /> <br /> "STEVEN!!!!" WHAT AN AWESOME EPIC SONG!!!!!!!! LONG - LIVE ALICE COOPER - THE KING OF SHOCK!!!!!!!!
im not quite sure, but its a freaky song, i think its about someone who has a loved one dying or something and they're trying to make it the suffering go away, "i'll put pennies on your eyes" the anchient greeks put pennies on the eyes of their dead to pay the boatman so they can get into the underworld instead of roaming the beach for eternity
its a fuckin amazing song and cooper is fuckin amazing...im goin to see him october 9th 2002 :D
Listen to the entire album. It's about the babysitter, and he killed the kid...
it's about the death of a child
i dont like to hear you cry, you just dont know how deep that cuts me... GREAT LINES!