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.
Suede you always felt like suede
There are days I feel your twin
Peekaboo hiding underneath your skin
Jets. are revving yes revving
And this. Has power over me.
Not because you feel something
Or don't feel something for me
But because. Mass. So big.
It can swallow swallow her whole star intact.
Call me 'evil' call me
'Tide is on your side' anything that you want.
Anybody knows you can conjure anything
By the dark side of the moon. Boy.
And if you keep your silence silencer on
You'll talk yourself right into a job.
Out of a hole into my bayou
I'm sure that you've been briefed my
Apsorption lines. They are frayed and I fear.
My fear is greater than my faith
But I walk. The missionary way.
You always felt like suede
There are days I am your twin
Peekaboo hiding underneath your skin
Jets. Are revving. Yes revving from
An ether twist.
Call me 'evil' little sister. I guess
I'd do the same. Little sister.
You'll forgive me one day.
There are days I feel your twin
Peekaboo hiding underneath your skin
Jets. are revving yes revving
And this. Has power over me.
Not because you feel something
Or don't feel something for me
But because. Mass. So big.
It can swallow swallow her whole star intact.
Call me 'evil' call me
'Tide is on your side' anything that you want.
Anybody knows you can conjure anything
By the dark side of the moon. Boy.
And if you keep your silence silencer on
You'll talk yourself right into a job.
Out of a hole into my bayou
I'm sure that you've been briefed my
Apsorption lines. They are frayed and I fear.
My fear is greater than my faith
But I walk. The missionary way.
You always felt like suede
There are days I am your twin
Peekaboo hiding underneath your skin
Jets. Are revving. Yes revving from
An ether twist.
Call me 'evil' little sister. I guess
I'd do the same. Little sister.
You'll forgive me one day.
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
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This particular song spoke to me, and still does when I hear it. I feel this duality that she is talking about. I have felt that other person inside of me, too, "hiding underneath the skin." This slick, suede, person that is different from what you usually consider to be "yourself." And this person is just as much part of you as they are foreign to you. (Like in Cruel, also by Tori) But sometimes this other persona just seems to take over, (mass so big it can swallow her whole star intact) and can make you wonder where the line is between yourself and this other persona that pops up from time to time and confuses things (my absorption lines are frayed).
Now I see how this sounds like a schizo, the dual personalities thing, but everytime I have ever encountered this "alternate me" is when I find I have done or I am in the act of doing something that I didn't think I was capable of doing. Usually it was all bad stuff... like in the song, "call me 'evil', call me 'tide is on your side', anything you want. anybody knows you can conjure anything by the dark of the moon." Like anybody knows you can get into just about anything when the sun goes down. In my 20s I did some weird sneaking around type stuff- it was weird - and I remember physically saying out loud to myself, "What are you doing?!" But something had a hold on me... and I couldn't talk myself into just stopping.
But when I go through these spells - it never lasts too long. and in the end it all kind of washes out, and I want to just separate myself from myself! Worn out and ragged... what is left over, what is left after all the drama is over, is just heartbroken. And that's where the song really sings - "Oh little sister, I hoped you wouldn't feel that way. Oh little sister, you'll forgive me one day." -Suede. And it does take time before you can forgive yourself for the things you've done that you can't believe you were capable of doing. Some people would think of it as a bad memory and leave it at that. But I remember my actions as deliberate, and there was a wildness to me, something feral, something primal, something different. And Tori calls hers Suede. I don't know what to call mine. I think Suede will suffice. And I hope Suede doesn't show up again too soon.
I know someone out there knows what I mean.
@ericacmiller I know exactly what you mean. Every word you said. I don't think Tori quite meant it that way, but I feel your interpretation. Suede is one of my most personal songs. When I hear "you must forgive yourself" - I just cock my head like a confused dog. So, little sister...