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 last time I saw you, August of '99, I should have had my hammer and a few rusty spikes to nail you on a wall and use bottles to catch your blood and display you for the neighbors so they know your time had come. And I'd drink your blood and feel it dripping down my throat as it heads for my heart. And as your body sags and the stench rises in vain, the people on the street are collecting in dismay. Before their eyes your head lifts towards the sky and that's the last thing they'll remember of you. You've become a ghost. You're floating somewhere in between the waking world and a landscape of dreams. Well it's nothing but dying. You've got a grenade stuck in your teeth and you're pulling at the pin. You're an illusion, just a shadow flickering underneath the sun.
Lyrics submitted by wimplucy
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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,
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