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.
There you are alone
With no hope of ever having
Something to be proud of
Something earned without begging
Yes, I know you're a person
A person close to me
Who do think you are?
And what more do you want from me?
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Why are you at home
Buried in your self-pity?
Why do you insist on
Living the life clean out of me?
Yes, I know you're the person
The person that took time with me
Does it give you the right to expect
Your life revolves around me?
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue!
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my… (I'm not gonna give in)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my… (I'm not gonna give in)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (There you are alone)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (With no hope of ever having)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (Something to be proud of)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (Something earned without begging)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (Yes, I know you're a person)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (A person close to me)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (Who do think you are?
And what more do you want from me?)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again!
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ugh!
Ugh!
Ugh!
Ugh-aah!
Ugh-aah!
With no hope of ever having
Something to be proud of
Something earned without begging
Yes, I know you're a person
A person close to me
Who do think you are?
And what more do you want from me?
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Why are you at home
Buried in your self-pity?
Why do you insist on
Living the life clean out of me?
Yes, I know you're the person
The person that took time with me
Does it give you the right to expect
Your life revolves around me?
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue!
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my… (I'm not gonna give in)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my brother (where does our friendship end?)
You were my… (I'm not gonna give in)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (There you are alone)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (With no hope of ever having)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (Something to be proud of)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (Something earned without begging)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (Yes, I know you're a person)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (A person close to me)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again (Who do think you are?
And what more do you want from me?)
How can you fucking doubt me? But not again!
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ball tongue! (Scat vocals)
Ugh!
Ugh!
Ugh!
Ugh-aah!
Ugh-aah!
Lyrics submitted by me109cito, edited by MetalheadMike
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Light Up The Sky
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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,
No Surprises
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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.
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.
if anyone tries to say that jon is actually saying something in this song when ball tongue is being screamed they need to be put down. Numerous websites as well as some old interviews on Much Music have confirmed from jonathan himself that he isn't saying anything. IT'S GIBBERISH!!!!! But, it's creative nontheless.
@nick jones Yeah, exactly. It's just his trademark scatting.
@nick jones dude for the longest time ive thought it just repeated the words "How can you bother not making love again?" I thought he was insulting "Ball Tongue" by saying he had a shitty sex drive
Didn't Head say in his autobiography that Ball Tongue was a guy who could ball up his tongue and he used to tour with them as their driver in the early days scoring their drugs and taking it with them till they got sick of the guy and management made them kick him off the tour and never speak to him again?
He was closer to Ball Tongue than the rest of the band which is how he wrote a chapter or so on the guy and what they did together
about betrayal from a "former?" friend
it's actually about a guy Korn had to work with on a t-shirt design. He either had a pierced toungue or a wart or something and he treated the band like shit.
The story about the t-shirt desing is true. The guy become obsessed with Jonathan. At the end of the song, Nick Jones is right: it's just a lot of words screamed like "Twist".
Jonathan sings about a guy with a pierced tongue who were the bands friend, but he fucked them over, and then they weren't friends anymore.
"Balltongue" was actually their manager at the time. It says so in the skrapbook of the TALITM CD.
So much fuckin' emotion in this song. I love it.
that's one of my fight songs by Korn
korn is fucking great. favorite band. with them id still be listening 2 pop-punk...but they saved me years ago