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.
Nobody else here, baby
Nobody else here, baby
No one else here to blame
No one to point the finger
It's just you and me and the rain
Nobody made you do it
No one put words in your mouth
Nobody here taking orders
When love took a train heading south
It's the blind leading the blind
It's the stuff, it's the stuff of country songs
Hey, if God will send his angels
And if God will send a sign
Hey, if God will send his angels
Could they hurry here, tonight?
God's got his phone off the hook, babe
Would he even pick up if he could?
It's been a while since we saw that child
Hangin' 'round this neighborhood
We see his mother dealing in a doorway
See Father Christmas with a begging bowl
Jesus' sister's eyes are a blister
High Street never sunk so low
It's the blind leading the blind
It's the cops collecting for the cons
So where is the hope?
And where is the faith and the love?
What's that you say to me?
Does love light up your Christmas tree?
The next minute you're blowing a fuse
And the Cartoon Network turns into the news
If God will send his angels
And if God will send a sign
Well, if God will send his angels
Could they hurry here, tonight? (Where do we go?)
(Where do we go?)
Jesus never let me down
You know Jesus always shows me the score
Then they put Jesus in show business
Now it's hard to get in the door
It's the stuff, it's the stuff of country songs
But I guess it was something to go on
Hey, if God will send his angels
Then just get them here somehow
But if God can't send his angels
Could he come himself, right now?
Nobody else here, baby
No one else here to blame
No one to point the finger
It's just you and me and the rain
Nobody made you do it
No one put words in your mouth
Nobody here taking orders
When love took a train heading south
It's the blind leading the blind
It's the stuff, it's the stuff of country songs
Hey, if God will send his angels
And if God will send a sign
Hey, if God will send his angels
Could they hurry here, tonight?
God's got his phone off the hook, babe
Would he even pick up if he could?
It's been a while since we saw that child
Hangin' 'round this neighborhood
We see his mother dealing in a doorway
See Father Christmas with a begging bowl
Jesus' sister's eyes are a blister
High Street never sunk so low
It's the blind leading the blind
It's the cops collecting for the cons
So where is the hope?
And where is the faith and the love?
What's that you say to me?
Does love light up your Christmas tree?
The next minute you're blowing a fuse
And the Cartoon Network turns into the news
If God will send his angels
And if God will send a sign
Well, if God will send his angels
Could they hurry here, tonight? (Where do we go?)
(Where do we go?)
Jesus never let me down
You know Jesus always shows me the score
Then they put Jesus in show business
Now it's hard to get in the door
It's the stuff, it's the stuff of country songs
But I guess it was something to go on
Hey, if God will send his angels
Then just get them here somehow
But if God can't send his angels
Could he come himself, right now?
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
I Totally agree with the previous bloggers. In Pop's piece de resistance If God Will Send His Angels-surely one of U2's best and most misunderstood Artworks, Bono is simply asking a question to us all-"Where is the hope, faith and love in the world?"-My man Bono is crying out that question and he rages "Jesus never let me down/Jesus used to show me the score/Then they put Jesus in showbiz/Now it's hard to get in the door!"-Bono is clearly angry and enraged in this psalm blues electronica as Edge, Adam and Larry lay down a chillout techno melody. Many U2 Fans have never given Pop a fair chance. If God Will Send His Angels is U2's most underrated song. I for one sing its praises. Bono is a brilliant writer. We need faith, hope and love in our lives and U2 ARE a solution for this mixed-up world we're living in today! U2 ROCK HARD!