So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new.
This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus.
Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness".
The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1.
All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy.
And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns)
There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
I heard the news baby
All about your disease
Yeah, you may have all you want baby
But I got somethin' you need, oh yeah
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
My love is rotten to the core
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
Just like I told you before, yeah before
You know you're semi-good lookin'
And on the streets again
Oh yeah, you think you're really cookin' baby
You better find yourself a friend, my friend
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
My love is rotten to the core
Ain't gonna talk about love
Just like I told you before, before
Before, before, before
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
Babe, it's rotten to the core
Ain't talkin' bout love
Just like I told you before, before
I been to the edge
And there I stood and looked down
You know I lost a lot of friends there baby
I got no time to mess around, mmm
So if you want it, got to bleed for it baby
Yeah, got to, got to bleed, baby
Mmm you got to, got to bleed, baby
Hey, got to, got to bleed baby
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
My love is rotten to the core
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
Just like I told you before, before, before
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
Don't wanna talk about love
Don't need to talk about love
Ain't gonna talk about love
No more, no more
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
All about your disease
Yeah, you may have all you want baby
But I got somethin' you need, oh yeah
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
My love is rotten to the core
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
Just like I told you before, yeah before
You know you're semi-good lookin'
And on the streets again
Oh yeah, you think you're really cookin' baby
You better find yourself a friend, my friend
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
My love is rotten to the core
Ain't gonna talk about love
Just like I told you before, before
Before, before, before
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
Babe, it's rotten to the core
Ain't talkin' bout love
Just like I told you before, before
I been to the edge
And there I stood and looked down
You know I lost a lot of friends there baby
I got no time to mess around, mmm
So if you want it, got to bleed for it baby
Yeah, got to, got to bleed, baby
Mmm you got to, got to bleed, baby
Hey, got to, got to bleed baby
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
My love is rotten to the core
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
Just like I told you before, before, before
Ain't talkin' 'bout love
Don't wanna talk about love
Don't need to talk about love
Ain't gonna talk about love
No more, no more
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey
Lyrics submitted by UseYourIllusion
Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love Lyrics as written by Edward Van Halen Alex Van Halen
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave, 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!
this song is about sex. "ain't talkin' 'bout love"...almost self explanatory.
I believe this song could very well be about a drug addiction. Addiction IS a disease. SO when he says
"I heard the news baby, all about your disease , ... You may have all you want , but I have something you need"
"I been to the edge, an' there I stood an' looked down You know I lost a lot of friends there baby, I got no time to mess around "
Which to mean reminds me of the friends he had lost to drugs, and he had been there with them, and NOW he goes back and sees this girl , and I let her know Ive been there and done that, and I Cant do it any more.
Mmmm, so if you want it got to bleed for it baby "
The bleeding part could be used for a drug reference. The drugs that put you on the streets generally are used through a syringe. When you do drugs through a syringe you have to pull back blood. or If the song is about sex, then it could refer to losing her virginity.
I am not really SURE if this is what this song is about, this is just MY take on it. I have been at these points in life , so that is how I relate this song to such things.
NEVERTHELESS! Its a great song, definitely one of my favorite VH songs. I seen the DriveBy Truckers perform this song in Tampa last night, and that is where I started thinking about it. Happy New Year!
I
Van Halen kicks ass! aint talkin about love!
it's about how you meet someone so beautiful/fucked-up n' you feel that you might be falling in love with them but you don't want to be in love with them cause you're afraid that you'll get hurt like you've been in your past relationship. it's a really sad song but definetly worth the listen, very-very good.
This is one of my drunken karaoke songs I sing to the ladies.
this song is really about GMR (Glendora Mountain Road). its gated off now but now the place to go and lose friends is The Falls up baldy rd
I always took this song to be about a woman beater. I'm pretty sure I'm correct.
If he don't get his way maybe he'd beat the crap out of her.
He confesses that he did something horrible. Something his friends would not forgive.
And here he reveals the answer. He is a woman beater.
Now incase your thinking that the "bleed" part is refference to popping the cherry. The above statement of "lost allot of friends" negates that.
RJ
the guitar is cool !
found at songfacts.com the song is about casual sex, something David Lee Roth was known for. He had the roadies give out back stage passes to beautiful women at Van Halen's concerts. There was a $100 reward if the roadie sent one back he slept with.
That's right
nice little riff @ the first but very hard to play and actually get the timing right without it sounding like crap.lol
all in all a great song
peace