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.
It's bad timing and me
We find a lot of things out this way
And there's you
A little black cloud in a dress
The temptation
To take the precious things we have apart
To see how they work
Must be resisted for they never fit together again
If this is rain let it fall on me and drown me
If these are tears let them fall
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
It took a short walk and a talk
To change the rules of engagement
While you searched frantically for reverse
And them claiming
That virtue never tested is no virtue at all
And so I lost my ignorance
And now the bells across the river chime out your name
I look across to them again
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
All your friends said come down
It will never fly
And on that imperfect day
We threw it all away
Crisis after crisis
With such intensity
This would never happen if we lived by the sea
Most important decisions in life
Are made between two people in bed
I found that out at my expense
And when I see you
You just turn around and walk away like we never met
Oh we used to be so brave
I dreamt the world stopped turning as we climbed the hill
I dreamt impossible dreams that we were lovers still
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
(repeat to end)
We find a lot of things out this way
And there's you
A little black cloud in a dress
The temptation
To take the precious things we have apart
To see how they work
Must be resisted for they never fit together again
If this is rain let it fall on me and drown me
If these are tears let them fall
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
It took a short walk and a talk
To change the rules of engagement
While you searched frantically for reverse
And them claiming
That virtue never tested is no virtue at all
And so I lost my ignorance
And now the bells across the river chime out your name
I look across to them again
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
All your friends said come down
It will never fly
And on that imperfect day
We threw it all away
Crisis after crisis
With such intensity
This would never happen if we lived by the sea
Most important decisions in life
Are made between two people in bed
I found that out at my expense
And when I see you
You just turn around and walk away like we never met
Oh we used to be so brave
I dreamt the world stopped turning as we climbed the hill
I dreamt impossible dreams that we were lovers still
Must I paint you a picture
About the way that I feel?
You know my love for you is strong, girl
You know my love for you is real
(repeat to end)
Lyrics submitted by Madame Me
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This song is about Mary and the destructive relationship Billy had with her. In the song Life With Lions he's singing about how he doesn't like who he is when he's with her which I think goes with the line, "And there's you A little black cloud in a dress". The relationship brought people around them down. She was a black cloud around him, made him depressed. At one point Billy bought Mary a ring and Mary thought or assumed he was asking her to marry him, they became engaged very quickly in a kind of accidental crazy way. "And now the bells across the river chime out your name I look across to them again." I think this song is very much about their quick engagement. "And on that imperfect day We threw it all away Crisis after crisis With such intensity." Calling off the engagement after all the drama and arguing. "And when I see you You just turn around and walk away like we never met" It was said that Mary threw the Workers Playtime album off the Hammerstein bridge after she heard it when it was released.