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.
Against my will
It hurts me still.
It really stings.
They clipped my wings.
What could I do?
Everything's new.
How my knees lock.
How will I walk?
Oh, they clipped my wings.
I will try to act like it's ok.
Oh, they clipped my wings.
I must learn to walk today.
I cast aside
My downy pride.
All heaven's things
They clipped my wings.
I have heard how God sings.
Oh, they clipped my wings.
Oh, the sadness that it brings.
I will try to like it's okay.
Oh, they clipped my wings.
So, I will learn to walk today.
Oh, they clipped my wings.
It hurts me still.
It really stings.
They clipped my wings.
What could I do?
Everything's new.
How my knees lock.
How will I walk?
Oh, they clipped my wings.
I will try to act like it's ok.
Oh, they clipped my wings.
I must learn to walk today.
I cast aside
My downy pride.
All heaven's things
They clipped my wings.
I have heard how God sings.
Oh, they clipped my wings.
Oh, the sadness that it brings.
I will try to like it's okay.
Oh, they clipped my wings.
So, I will learn to walk today.
Oh, they clipped my wings.
Lyrics submitted by LilBowieGirl
Clipped Lyrics as written by Melora Creager
Lyrics © SONGS OF VIRTUAL
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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,
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.
I think that this song is about a person's loss of freedom and them now having to deal with the weight of life's pressures.
Like Cris925, I don't think this song is about gaining independance, rather, losing it. Wings usually signify freedom and being "higher up" (both physically and metaphorically).
I think that on the surface it sounds like an angel who lost its wings. I have a more personal interpretation because I lost a person who was very close to me and this song makes me think of that loss. It was like having to learn how to live all over again because I had depended on this person so much, I didn't know what to do or how to live after they were suddenly gone. But you eventually have to get yourself together and learn to deal with it.
I always interpreted this song as the aftermath of a rape. She's dealing with the weight of something so horrible happening to her ("Against my will, it hurts me still" and "I will try to act like it's okay"). She turns to God for guidance, but she's still having trouble.
I dunno, just my two cents.
I belive this song is about an angel who has had its wings clipped after hearing gods voice, and now has to learn to walk after a lifetime of flying.
I agree with antiques black heart, but I think there's also a theme of learning to stand up for yourself and think for yourself in there.
Wow that's beautiful black heart, I considered it a normal person just having something metaphorical taken away and has to learn to live without it, but your theory is much more beautiful!
In keeping with the certain amount of feminism that tends to run throughout Raspy's songs, it seemed to relate to a woman tied down by a man's world, perhaps if she recently married. Of course, that's all in the ideals of at least 100 years ago (also keeping with Raspian style).
I think it could be referring to losing your virginity as a bad experience..Or maybe to being ridiculed and it breaking your spirit.
I think this song is about becoming independent. I think the wings represent anything she became attached; parents, a former lover, an idea etc.. It's a new life for her, and at first she's apprehensive. Then she realizes she's becoming stronger.