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 wouldn’t know what to do with another chance
If you gave it to me
I couldn’t take the embrace of a real romance
It’d race right through me
I’m much better off the way things are
Much much better off, better by far, by far
I wouldn’t know what to say to a gentle voice
It’d roll right past me
And if you chalk it up you’ll see I don’t really have a choice
So don’t even ask me
I’m much better off, the way things are
Much much better off, better by far
So keep on calling me names, keep on, keep on
And I’ll keep kicking the crap till it’s gone
If you keep on killing, you could get me to settle
And as soon as I settle, I bet I’ll be
Able to move on
How can I fight, when we’re on the same side
How can I fight beside you
So keep on calling me names, keep on, keep on
And I’ll keep kicking the crap till it’s gone
If you keep on killing, you could get me to settle
And as soon as I settle, I bet I’ll be
Able to move on
So keep on calling me names, keep on, keep on
And I’ll keep kicking the crap till it’s gone
If you keep on killing, you could get me to settle
And as soon as I settle, I bet I’ll be
Able to move on
If you gave it to me
I couldn’t take the embrace of a real romance
It’d race right through me
I’m much better off the way things are
Much much better off, better by far, by far
I wouldn’t know what to say to a gentle voice
It’d roll right past me
And if you chalk it up you’ll see I don’t really have a choice
So don’t even ask me
I’m much better off, the way things are
Much much better off, better by far
So keep on calling me names, keep on, keep on
And I’ll keep kicking the crap till it’s gone
If you keep on killing, you could get me to settle
And as soon as I settle, I bet I’ll be
Able to move on
How can I fight, when we’re on the same side
How can I fight beside you
So keep on calling me names, keep on, keep on
And I’ll keep kicking the crap till it’s gone
If you keep on killing, you could get me to settle
And as soon as I settle, I bet I’ll be
Able to move on
So keep on calling me names, keep on, keep on
And I’ll keep kicking the crap till it’s gone
If you keep on killing, you could get me to settle
And as soon as I settle, I bet I’ll be
Able to move on
Lyrics submitted by SNYder
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
this is another incredible song from Fiona Apple
i don't think there ever was a real relationship- she ran right from the beginning- the embrace of a real romance she knows is too heavy for her- wouldn't know what to say to a gentle voice- she has adjusted to life without love and when someone tries to love her she is stuck not knowing what to say back- love itself is akward- she's got dependency issues- she will "fall in love" as long as she doesn't need the person- as long as she would still be ok if it ended- "I better be able to move on" if i couldn't move on from you- then i don't want to start this~ but maybe i am just applying to my life..
When Fiona says these lines, "How can I fight, when we're on the same side/How can I fight beside you?" I took it as her always wanting to fight. She makes reference to this, I think, in her other songs --she always seems to want to fight. So when she says "How can I fight when we're on the same side" it's like she doesn't know what to do when there is no fighting in a relationship. She needs the fighting.
Ugh. She must be nuts.
S/HE is, and s/he's awfully self-absorbed today
this IS incredible so catchy and it seems so familiar...the whole song is pretty much self-explanitory...sort of like accepting things as the way they are..
I can completely relate to this song! Isn't it so amazing how she captures her emotions [perfectly] in her lyrics? Gah-- I love her.
Virrrrgo hit the nail right on the head. That's exactly what the song is about.
Best Fiona Apple song, imo.
i have to agree with sarabear316..
with my take, i think it's a about a girl who's had many bad experiences with men. she's become used to the pain from all those jerks that it's become normal for her. it's become the familiar. the girl is in this transitional period where she wants to not only runaway from all the bad men, but the good guys too. since being treated like crap by guys has become normalized for her, her mind, body and heart rejects a good guy who treats her well. (from the first verse)
she feels that at this stage, she needs to be alone until she kicks her bad habit (of dating toxic men), not by dating a good guy, but learning to love herself and believe that she's worthy of being loved. to her, things are better off this way. her friends and maybe past exes make fun of her and don't support this idea of hers. she reacts back by saying, you can tell me that i'm crazy for cutting myself off from love for awhile, but that's how it's going to be.
I love the song so very much; Fiona Apple's an extremely talented girl and a brilliant song-writer. The meaning is self-explanatory, it's something I can really relate to.
this is another incredible song from Fiona Apple
She sees that she's better off not being with him, and that a second time would only fuck things up more. She knows on her own is what it is supossed to be, and she can take everything thats thrown at her. Thats just my opinion...