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.
Once there was a day
We were together all the way
An endless path unbroken
But now there is a time
A torture less sublime
Our souls are locked and frozen
Once we were years ahead but now those thoughts are dead
Let me go (let me go)
All hopeless fantasies are making fools of me
Let me go
I walk alone and yet I never say goodbye
Let me go (let me go)
A change of heart a change of mind and heaven fell that night
Let me go
I tried but could not bring
The best of everything
Too breathless then to wonder
I died a thousand times
Found guilty of no crime
Now everything is thunder
Daytime all I want is nighttime
I don't need the daytime
All I want is nighttime
I don't need the daytime
All I want is nighttime
I don't need the daytime
All I want is nighttime
I don't need the
Got to, got to, got to, got to
Let me go
Once we were years ahead but now those thoughts are dead
Let me go (let me go)
All hopeless fantasies are making fools of me
Let me go
I walk alone and yet I never say goodbye
Let me go (let me go)
A change of heart a change of mind and heaven fell that night
Let me go
The best years of our lives
The hope of it survives
The facts of life unspoken
The only game in town
I'll turn the last card down
And now the bank is broken
Broken
Found guilty of no crime (broken)
They were the best years of our lives
Broken, broken
I'll turn the last card down
We were together all the way
An endless path unbroken
But now there is a time
A torture less sublime
Our souls are locked and frozen
Once we were years ahead but now those thoughts are dead
Let me go (let me go)
All hopeless fantasies are making fools of me
Let me go
I walk alone and yet I never say goodbye
Let me go (let me go)
A change of heart a change of mind and heaven fell that night
Let me go
I tried but could not bring
The best of everything
Too breathless then to wonder
I died a thousand times
Found guilty of no crime
Now everything is thunder
Daytime all I want is nighttime
I don't need the daytime
All I want is nighttime
I don't need the daytime
All I want is nighttime
I don't need the daytime
All I want is nighttime
I don't need the
Got to, got to, got to, got to
Let me go
Once we were years ahead but now those thoughts are dead
Let me go (let me go)
All hopeless fantasies are making fools of me
Let me go
I walk alone and yet I never say goodbye
Let me go (let me go)
A change of heart a change of mind and heaven fell that night
Let me go
The best years of our lives
The hope of it survives
The facts of life unspoken
The only game in town
I'll turn the last card down
And now the bank is broken
Broken
Found guilty of no crime (broken)
They were the best years of our lives
Broken, broken
I'll turn the last card down
Lyrics submitted by jimmyjango2000, edited by epiwoosh
Let Me Go Lyrics as written by Ian Marsh Glen Gregory
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore, O/B/O DistroKid, Capitol CMG Publishing, Sentric Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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This is an all time favorite of mine. The lyrics are so cool and insightful. I guess it can be read many ways. I took it to mean two buddies who had everything when they were young, the world by the tail, but now there is a time a torture less sublime, our souls are locked and frozen. I believe it is about the potential, the beauty, the energy, the fearless and cocksure omnipotence of youth and it should last forever, yet it passes so quickly and you didn't find what you wanted for your life and now in your 30s (lol) or perhaps just say "older" our souls are locked and frozen, meaning that freespirited spontaniety has mileage and fear sets in due to the mistakes of youth when you dive into love and hit your head on concrete, or whatever the dreams and disappointments are, make you wary and nothing ventured nothing gained and so you become frozen. Getting older feels like being punished for a crime as you see the next generation take its reign of power and beauty, and so you look back and say it was the best years of our lives, and you still hope somehow you'll find "it" - my favorite lyric "the only game in town I'll turn the last card down and now the bank is broken" always gives me goosebumps because I think it is about that last grasp for real happiness be it true love, fame, power, etc., and now the bank is broken. Amazing and very overlooked song -
Not sure if I agree. I think it may be a lover from the past. Things were good then, but now they are not. The torture is in the lost love. Let me go is just that, move on, let me go.
I've always seen this track as being about a couple who's relationship has obviously run it's course, but the protagonist in the song isn't strong enough to let go - even though they want to - and the other party won't let go.
I have to agree with electra2700. It is a relationship that started off great, but somehow has lost what they had.<br /> <br /> "The only game in town<br /> I'll turn the last card down<br /> And now the bank is broken"<br /> <br /> That tells me he is saying that there is nothing left in this relationship.<br /> <br /> "Found guilty of no crime<br /> They were the best years of our lives"<br /> <br /> That tells me there are no regrets and those were good years...but nothing is left.<br /> <br /> Just my thoughts. :)