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.
I got a friend in Fremont
He sells used cars, ya know
Well, he calls me up twice a year
Just to ask me how'd it go
"Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain
But actually everything is just about the same"
I met a girl from Venus, her insides were lined in gold
Well, she did what she did, said "How was it, kid?"
She was politely told
"Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain
But actually everything is just about the same"
Moonlight makes me dizzy
Sunlight makes me clean
Your light is the sweetest thing
That this boy has ever seen
Molly went to Arkansas, she got raped by Dobbin's dog
Well, she was doing good 'til she went in the woods
And got pinned up against a log
Pretty good, not bad, she can't complain
'Cause actually all them dogs are just about the same
Moonlight makes me dizzy
Sunlight makes me clean
Your light is the sweetest thing
That this boy has ever seen
I heard Allah and Buddha were singing at the Savior's feast
And up in the sky an Arabian rabbi
Fed Quaker Oats to a priest
Pretty good, not bad, they can't complain
'Cause actually all them gods are just about the same
Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain
'Cause actually everything is just about the same
He sells used cars, ya know
Well, he calls me up twice a year
Just to ask me how'd it go
"Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain
But actually everything is just about the same"
I met a girl from Venus, her insides were lined in gold
Well, she did what she did, said "How was it, kid?"
She was politely told
"Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain
But actually everything is just about the same"
Moonlight makes me dizzy
Sunlight makes me clean
Your light is the sweetest thing
That this boy has ever seen
Molly went to Arkansas, she got raped by Dobbin's dog
Well, she was doing good 'til she went in the woods
And got pinned up against a log
Pretty good, not bad, she can't complain
'Cause actually all them dogs are just about the same
Moonlight makes me dizzy
Sunlight makes me clean
Your light is the sweetest thing
That this boy has ever seen
I heard Allah and Buddha were singing at the Savior's feast
And up in the sky an Arabian rabbi
Fed Quaker Oats to a priest
Pretty good, not bad, they can't complain
'Cause actually all them gods are just about the same
Pretty good, not bad, I can't complain
'Cause actually everything is just about the same
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
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.
this song describes how i feel when i really do not care about anything.
i think the chorus is about a guy who is taking advantage of a woman.
For me it is about how stupid it is to speak politely.
Feelings of ennui provoked by pure jadedness.
It seems to me to be about how the good and the bad kind of intertwine, and how this is difficult to express, but maybe just kind of superficial anyway.
It's good to have a friend, but he's a car dealer, and you only talk a couple times a year. That sets up the whole thing, like these kind of superficial conversations you have with people, that could go deeper, but don't. "Pretty good, not bad, can't complain. Actually, everything is about the same"
He meets a girl from Venus, a goddess, insides made of gold, like the epitome of feminine beauty, but, it's not a love song to her, it's just a stanza. It's great to have been there, but she did what she did.
Apparently Molly was a Labrador that ran off and came back with puppies, but mixed breed. so, kind of a mixed blessing like everything else in this song. I liked this song, but that verse seemed out of line, until I learned that dog story. It made the song almost self referential, it sounds bad, but it's not, but it's not good either.
The mixed blessing theme is then reinforced with the mish-mash of religious references in the last verse. Each has their good and their bad, and in the end they're all pretty similar.
This song, like many of his, is about lonely people. All his friends are car salesmen, who are friends with anyone until they know you well enough to realize you aren\'t buying. The second verse says after \'the deed\' things are pretty much as they were before the act, same for his dog getting pregnant, or various religions and their gods. Just someone not very well connected to others and feeling isolated and alone