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.
Hey our pals we think words should be
Quite irate when their used frankly
We don’t believe our words should keep
Our full mindscape far from our greed
When we’re asked if we see with us
We’ll be short and make our mind thrust
To demean those words that slight us
Since harmless words don’t remind us
That we’re stale in life and change
We must
Recognize that most verbs sound flat
And choose nouns that spit our words at
Those we speak at and believe that
Need to change at what they speak at
When we’re faced with those that don’t know
Those who think they don’t need to grow
Those who choose to drown out our sound
Harmless words won’t break in their ground
That the’re stale in life and change
We can not
Believe this when we speak this in the words that
Do demean this cause we rate this and we weigh this
And it comes out we should change this cause we
Know that if we go back and we check out how it’s
Been stacked that we can’t switch what we don’t
Ditch what our mind’s nitch when we first set out to
Change
If we want to get back and change with our words
sometimes we must say
Fuck this fuck you fuck him you too change this
you’re wrong we’re right our song it’s mine
it’s theirs it’s ours to share good words are spared
Just cause we care
That we change in life and greed
we have to
believe this when we speak this in the words that do
demean this cause we rate this and we weigh this and
it comes out we should change this cause we know
that if we go back and we check out how it’s been
Stacked that it’s all gone our first points gone and the
worst part there’s no good
Quite irate when their used frankly
We don’t believe our words should keep
Our full mindscape far from our greed
When we’re asked if we see with us
We’ll be short and make our mind thrust
To demean those words that slight us
Since harmless words don’t remind us
That we’re stale in life and change
We must
Recognize that most verbs sound flat
And choose nouns that spit our words at
Those we speak at and believe that
Need to change at what they speak at
When we’re faced with those that don’t know
Those who think they don’t need to grow
Those who choose to drown out our sound
Harmless words won’t break in their ground
That the’re stale in life and change
We can not
Believe this when we speak this in the words that
Do demean this cause we rate this and we weigh this
And it comes out we should change this cause we
Know that if we go back and we check out how it’s
Been stacked that we can’t switch what we don’t
Ditch what our mind’s nitch when we first set out to
Change
If we want to get back and change with our words
sometimes we must say
Fuck this fuck you fuck him you too change this
you’re wrong we’re right our song it’s mine
it’s theirs it’s ours to share good words are spared
Just cause we care
That we change in life and greed
we have to
believe this when we speak this in the words that do
demean this cause we rate this and we weigh this and
it comes out we should change this cause we know
that if we go back and we check out how it’s been
Stacked that it’s all gone our first points gone and the
worst part there’s no good
Lyrics submitted by EmbryoSystem
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.