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.
Now I've been happy lately
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
Oh, I've been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Someday it's going to come
'Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again
Now I've been smiling lately
Thinkin' about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now, peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now, peace train
Get your bags together
Go bring your good friends too
Because it's getting nearer
It soon will be with you
Now come and join the living
It's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer
Soon it will all be true
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now peace train
Peace train
(Ooh, ooh)
Now I've been crying lately
Thinkin' about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can't we live in bliss?
'Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides a peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now, peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on, come on, come on
Yes, come on, peace train
Yes, it's the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now, peace train
Oh, peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
Oh, I've been smiling lately
Dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be
Someday it's going to come
'Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides the peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again
Now I've been smiling lately
Thinkin' about the good things to come
And I believe it could be
Something good has begun
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now, peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now, peace train
Get your bags together
Go bring your good friends too
Because it's getting nearer
It soon will be with you
Now come and join the living
It's not so far from you
And it's getting nearer
Soon it will all be true
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now peace train
Peace train
(Ooh, ooh)
Now I've been crying lately
Thinkin' about the world as it is
Why must we go on hating?
Why can't we live in bliss?
'Cause out on the edge of darkness
There rides a peace train
Oh, peace train take this country
Come take me home again
Oh, peace train sounding louder
Glide on the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now, peace train
Yes, peace train holy roller
Everyone jump upon the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on, come on, come on
Yes, come on, peace train
Yes, it's the peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
Come on now, peace train
Oh, peace train
Ooh-ah, ee-ah, ooh-ah
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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"
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
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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.
haha that was a funny comment ironjohn7 as i re listened to the song. but i do know cat didnt mean it like that he just wishes for every1 to forget hate and jump aboard the peace train. a place where hate and racism is left and love and sharing is found. im 15 and ive been brought up listening to catstevens by my parents. and i just think hes the best artists out, i love his songs and even after ive heard them millions of times they still set off my water works!