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.
Stranded in this town
My machine slows down
To take me where the night begins
I'm playing everywhere
Loving here and there
I always take the chance to win
Drove a million miles
Gambling rules my life
I only stop to start again
I reach out through the air
Good look is everywhere
Can almost touch it with my hands
Just a little luck tonight
Will do and dreams come true
Just a little luck tonight
I can't stop the wheel
That turns the ball of steel
When passion rules the game
I ain't got no control, when my heart's in flames
I'm a stranger in this town
Life takes me up and down
I'll break the score until I'm free
Can't stop to roll the dice
And in the morning light
A girl like you is all I need
Don't you need some love tonight
I do, yes I do
Don't you need some love tonight
How can we stand the heat
When love is all we need
When passion rules the game
I ain't got no control, when my heart's in flames
My machine slows down
To take me where the night begins
I'm playing everywhere
Loving here and there
I always take the chance to win
Drove a million miles
Gambling rules my life
I only stop to start again
I reach out through the air
Good look is everywhere
Can almost touch it with my hands
Just a little luck tonight
Will do and dreams come true
Just a little luck tonight
I can't stop the wheel
That turns the ball of steel
When passion rules the game
I ain't got no control, when my heart's in flames
I'm a stranger in this town
Life takes me up and down
I'll break the score until I'm free
Can't stop to roll the dice
And in the morning light
A girl like you is all I need
Don't you need some love tonight
I do, yes I do
Don't you need some love tonight
How can we stand the heat
When love is all we need
When passion rules the game
I ain't got no control, when my heart's in flames
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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.
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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“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.
Stranded (standing=syringe) in this town (hole)\nMy machine (heart=syringe) slows down (heroin)\nTo take me (inspire/dream) where the night begins (heroin)\n\nI\'m playing (marionette) everywhere\nLoving (shooting) here (heroin) and there (cocaine)\nI always take the chance (gamble=heroin) to win (cocaine)\nDrove (shot) a million miles (trackmarks)\nGambling (ace=syringe/king=heroin/queen=cocaine/jack=heroin) rules my life (habit)\nI only stop (heroin) to start (cocaine) again (round and round/the wheel)\n\n[habit] I reach out (god=cocaine) through the air (wind=cocaine)\nGood (cocaine) look (eyes=syringe) is everywhere (cocaine)\nCan almost touch it with my hands\n\n[to audience] Just a little (heroin) luck (cocaine) tonight (time)\nWill do and dreams (time+heroin+cocaine) come true (cross=syringe)\nJust a little (heroin) luck (cocaine) tonight (time)\nI can\'t stop the wheel (heroin sun to cocaine moon)\nThat turns the ball (speedball) of steel (syringe)\n\nWhen passion (heroin) rules the game (addiction)\nI ain\'t got no control (cocaine), when my heart\'s (syringe) in flames (full of heroin)\n\nI\'m a stranger (heroin addict) in this town\nLife (habit) takes me up (cocaine) and down (heroin)\nI\'ll break the score (cocaine) until I\'m free\nCan\'t stop to roll the dice (only cocaine)\nAnd in the morning light (sun=heroin)\nA girl (habit) like you is all I need (only heroin)\n\n[habit] Don\'t you need some love (cocaine) tonight\nI do, yes I do\n[habit] Don\'t you need some love (cocaine) tonight\n[to the audience] How can we stand (shoot) the heat (heroin=hell=flames)\nWhen love (cocaine) is all we need (to make a speedball)\n\nWhen passion (heroin) rules the game\nI ain\'t got no control (cocaine), when my heart\'s (syringe) in flames (full of heroin).
Stranded (standing=syringe) in this town (hole)\nMy machine (heart=syringe) slows down (heroin)\nTo take me (inspire/dream) where the night begins (heroin)\n\nI\'m playing (marionette) everywhere\nLoving (shooting) here (heroin) and there (cocaine)\nI always take the chance (gamble=heroin) to win (cocaine)\nDrove (shot) a million miles (trackmarks)\nGambling (ace=syringe/king=heroin/queen=cocaine/jack=heroin) rules my life (habit)\nI only stop (heroin) to start (cocaine) again (round and round/the wheel)\n\n[habit] I reach out (god=cocaine) through the air (wind=cocaine)\nGood (cocaine) look (eyes=syringe) is everywhere (cocaine)\nCan almost touch it with my hands\n\n[to audience] Just a little (heroin) luck (cocaine) tonight (time)\nWill do and dreams (time+heroin+cocaine) come true (cross=syringe)\nJust a little (heroin) luck (cocaine) tonight (time)\nI can\'t stop the wheel (heroin sun to cocaine moon)\nThat turns the ball (speedball) of steel (syringe)\n\nWhen passion (heroin) rules the game (addiction)\nI ain\'t got no control (cocaine), when my heart\'s (syringe) in flames (full of heroin)\n\nI\'m a stranger (heroin addict) in this town\nLife (habit) takes me up (cocaine) and down (heroin)\nI\'ll break the score (cocaine) until I\'m free\nCan\'t stop to roll the dice (only cocaine)\nAnd in the morning light (sun=heroin)\nA girl (habit) like you is all I need (only heroin)\n\n[habit] Don\'t you need some love (cocaine) tonight\nI do, yes I do\n[habit] Don\'t you need some love (cocaine) tonight\n[to the audience] How can we stand (shoot) the heat (heroin=hell=flames)\nWhen love (cocaine) is all we need (to make a speedball)\n\nWhen passion (heroin) rules the game\nI ain\'t got no control (cocaine), when my heart\'s (syringe) in flames (full of heroin).