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.
Look up and what do you see? All of you and all of me
Fluorescent and starry, some of them, they surprise
The bus ride, I went to write this, 4:00 a.m, this letter
Fields of poppies, little pearls, all the boys and all the girls
Sweet-toothed, each and every one a little scary
I said your name, I wore it like a badge of teenage film stars
Hash bars, cherry mash and tinfoil tiaras
Dreaming of Maria Callas, whoever she is
This fame thing, I don't get it
I wrap my hand in plastic to try to look through it
Maybelline eyes and girl-as-boy moves
I can take you far, this star thing, I don't get it
(I'll take you over there)
(I'll take you over there)
Aluminum tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over there)
It tastes like fear
(I'll take you over)
Will you live to eighty-three? Will you ever welcome me?
Will you show me something that nobody else has seen?
Smoke it, drink, here comes the flood, anything to thin the blood
These corrosives do their magic slowly and sweet
Phone, eat it, drink, just another chink
Cuts and dents, they catch the light
Aluminum, the weakest link
I don't want to disappoint you, I'm not here to anoint you
I would lick your feet, but is that the sickest move?
I wear my own crown of sadness and sorrow
And who'd have thought tomorrow would be so strange?
My loss, and here we go again
(I'll take you over there)
(I'll take you over there)
Aluminum tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over there)
It tastes like fear, pulls us near
(I'll take you over)
Look up and what do you see?
All of you and all of me, florescent and starry
And some of them, they surprise
I can't look it in the eyes, Seconal, Spanish fly, absinthe, kerosene
Cherry-flavored neck and collar
I can smell the sorrow on your breath
The sweat, the victory and sorrow, the smell of fear
I got it
(I'll take you over there)
Aluminum tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over, take you there)
Aluminum, tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over, take you there)
It tastes like fear, pulls us near
(I'll take you over, take you there)
It tastes like fear, pulls us near
Pulls us near
It tastes like fear
Tastes like fear
Pulls us near
Pulls us near
Near, near
Over, over, over, over
Over, over, over, yeah
I'll take you over
I'll take you over, I'll take you there
Oh, over
I'll take you there
Over, baby
I'll take you over
There, there
I'll take you there
There, baby
Fluorescent and starry, some of them, they surprise
The bus ride, I went to write this, 4:00 a.m, this letter
Fields of poppies, little pearls, all the boys and all the girls
Sweet-toothed, each and every one a little scary
I said your name, I wore it like a badge of teenage film stars
Hash bars, cherry mash and tinfoil tiaras
Dreaming of Maria Callas, whoever she is
This fame thing, I don't get it
I wrap my hand in plastic to try to look through it
Maybelline eyes and girl-as-boy moves
I can take you far, this star thing, I don't get it
(I'll take you over there)
(I'll take you over there)
Aluminum tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over there)
It tastes like fear
(I'll take you over)
Will you live to eighty-three? Will you ever welcome me?
Will you show me something that nobody else has seen?
Smoke it, drink, here comes the flood, anything to thin the blood
These corrosives do their magic slowly and sweet
Phone, eat it, drink, just another chink
Cuts and dents, they catch the light
Aluminum, the weakest link
I don't want to disappoint you, I'm not here to anoint you
I would lick your feet, but is that the sickest move?
I wear my own crown of sadness and sorrow
And who'd have thought tomorrow would be so strange?
My loss, and here we go again
(I'll take you over there)
(I'll take you over there)
Aluminum tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over there)
It tastes like fear, pulls us near
(I'll take you over)
Look up and what do you see?
All of you and all of me, florescent and starry
And some of them, they surprise
I can't look it in the eyes, Seconal, Spanish fly, absinthe, kerosene
Cherry-flavored neck and collar
I can smell the sorrow on your breath
The sweat, the victory and sorrow, the smell of fear
I got it
(I'll take you over there)
Aluminum tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over, take you there)
Aluminum, tastes like fear
Adrenaline, it pulls us near
(I'll take you over, take you there)
It tastes like fear, pulls us near
(I'll take you over, take you there)
It tastes like fear, pulls us near
Pulls us near
It tastes like fear
Tastes like fear
Pulls us near
Pulls us near
Near, near
Over, over, over, over
Over, over, over, yeah
I'll take you over
I'll take you over, I'll take you there
Oh, over
I'll take you there
Over, baby
I'll take you over
There, there
I'll take you there
There, baby
Lyrics submitted by xpankfrisst
E-Bow The Letter Lyrics as written by Peter Buck Bill Berry
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
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
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
there's a few things wrong w/ this...
the bus <i>arrived</i>...yes, like a <i>badge</i>...i believe, tho i'm not sure, it is <i>foam</i>, eat it, drink...<i>in</i> saddness...
anyhow...peter buck wrote the music and when he played if for michael stipe he remembered this letter he wrote to river phoenix shortly before he died but never got to send...he pulled out the unsent letter and, although it was written in prose, it had such a powerful meter that it transfered right into the song...anyhow, about river phoenix's drug addiction and how easy it is to get caught up in ur success and not realize ur mistakes...
...i didn't really understand it, but i read a very scientifically presented account of wat the aluminum reference meant...it's sumthin like, when ur afraid ur body secretes metal-like substances and u get the taste of aluminum in ur mouth...very obscure reference indeed...the paranoia brought on by drugs brings about feelings of fear, and that taste of aluminum in ur mouth...also, the "tinfoil tiaras" r used for taking speed or cocaine