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.
The rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, no, and everybody's got to live their life
And God knows I've got to live mine
God knows I've got to live mine
William, William it was really nothing
William, William it was really nothing
It was your life
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say
"Oh, would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring"
She doesn't care about anything
Would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring
I don't dream about anyone except myself
Oh, William, William it was really nothing
William, William
This town has dragged you down
Oh, the rain falls hard on a humdrum town
This town has dragged you down
Oh, no, and everybody's got to live their life
And God knows I've got to live mine
God knows I've got to live mine
William, William it was really nothing
William, William it was really nothing
It was your life
How can you stay with a fat girl who'll say
"Oh, would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring"
She doesn't care about anything
Would you like to marry me?
And if you like you can buy the ring
I don't dream about anyone except myself
Oh, William, William it was really nothing
William, William
Lyrics submitted by Idan, edited by Mellow_Harsher, correctuse
William, It Was Really Nothing Lyrics as written by Johnny Marr Steven Morrissey
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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This could be about how William is a bi/gay man who Morrissey finds attractive and is jealous to the fat girl William is with. Or it could be an anti-marriage song also. Anyway it seems to me that Morrissey is telling to William to live his life and not to marry the girl unless he really wants it. It could be also that "it WAS really nothing" and "it WAS your life" mean that now William is dead and he never really lived. ...ord maybe the chorus has double meaning: maybe Morrissey (or the narrator of the song, which probably isn't Morrissey) and William had a homosexual act or something like that and now Morrissey is telling to William: "That was nothing, forget that!" But then Morrissey also says: "That was your life", meaning that that was really an important and William should really live his life the way he wants to...
precisely,and he also try to explain to his friend he might have embraced such a boring relationship because their town is somewhat depressive and he just wanted someone to be with: "The rain falls hard on a humdrum town this town has dragged you down"<br /> at the same he says he doesn't want to sound as if he's butting in his friends' live: <br /> "And everybody's got to live their life and God knows I've got to live mine"