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.
Darling stop confusing me
With your wishful thinking
Hopeful embraces
Don't you understand?
I have to go through this
I belong to here where
No-one cares and no-one loves
No light no air to live in
A place called hate
The city of fear
I play dead
It stops the hurting
I play dead
And hurting stops
It's sometimes just like sleeping
Curling up inside my private tortures
I nestle into pain
Hug suffering
Caress every ache
I play dead
It stops the hurting
With your wishful thinking
Hopeful embraces
Don't you understand?
I have to go through this
I belong to here where
No-one cares and no-one loves
No light no air to live in
A place called hate
The city of fear
I play dead
It stops the hurting
I play dead
And hurting stops
It's sometimes just like sleeping
Curling up inside my private tortures
I nestle into pain
Hug suffering
Caress every ache
I play dead
It stops the hurting
Lyrics submitted by AgathaKavka
Play Dead Lyrics as written by Jah Wobble David George Arnold
Lyrics © Red Brick Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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.
Great version of a great song,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
To me this song is about being in an emotional pain or depression where death seems like a relief, an escape. Imagining it, playing things out in your mind gives a sense of closure and that stops the hurting.
I'm talking from personal experience 25 years ago. When I heard this song back then, I was really surprised how perfectly it described what I was going through and actually doing, lying on the floor of my flat imagining I'm dead. That dark period is long gone but I don't often listen to this song. It's beautiful, but very dark, at least to me.
i think this song talks about.. how shes pushing people away.. how she doesnt wants their company.. and the whole deal with it..is that.. u push away..what u dont wanna hurt..probably the things u care the most..and before they leave u..u just leave them 1st..as in for u not to get hurt by them.. when she says she plays dead..its when she plays the whole i dont care card..the thing is..she cares too much.. humanly possibly..shes scared of the hurting..of the pain..yet she embraces it..cuz it makes the whole process easier..on her.. its a real contradiction cuz when bjork wrote this one..she wasnt goin through any disturbing phase..actually she was happy ..but..she needed to do a song..that would put the tag to the character of the movie ..
This song is sad. Its about being in a feeling the worst pain and pretending to be dead so it can go away.
Darling, stop confusing me, with your wishful thinking. Hopeful embraces, Don't you understand? I have to go through this,
seems to me like it's about a girl whose lover wants all this stuff to happen like maybe getting married and she knows it will never happen and it just hurts her more to think about it so she just wants all the pain to go away by playing dead. pretty sad because it's so true sometimes. sometimes your lover means well in the beginning and they just end up lieing to you and leaving you, and you knew it would happen all along.
i think this song may be about when you block out your emotions and pretend you are somewhere or someone else...then for a while...short while u forget about the "hurting"...anymore ideas? i could be wrong..... i also think that this song is writen for to someone as an explanation
I agree with petrol_addict, except I think Bjork's character in the song is trying to fool everyone but herself, but ends up believing that she should be "playing dead". She focuses so much on the pain that she forgets everything else.
the song could be about trying to involve yourself in a relationship with a person who is very ambiguous. they're hot, then cold. on, then off. so confused and befuddled, she just has to stop sometimes. lay down and play dead, in a sense.
All your comments are true but it's not a personal... it was commisioned for a movie. she said that she was actually quite happy when she wrote because she just finished Debut. and she was glad to write a song from another persons perspective.
I agree with what isobel was saying. the character is afraid of loving agaiin. she thinks it will be easier to not love at all than to love and be hurt.
I think it´s about a person who loves someone that can´t love because it only hurts her/him. She need forget him because it's impossible continue living with this. It's a survive question. She feels completly desperate with the situation, and the only way to finish it is not be live, play dead.