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.
Whoa oh prisoner
My pretty oh oh prisoner
A black ocean is the sky above
Tiny lights bob what star you from
Trapped in material plane
She wants to fly and they think she's insane
But she knows what she know
Give that girl wings and that's all she wrote
Twilight zone
Twilight zone
I'm floating in the dark alone and
Is there any love out here let me know
A laser lights pinpoints the top of my dome
Then through my body
As if Scotty's beaming up a wayward soul
Mutant races in an ancient universe
Dark shadows humans rhymin' in a raggae verse
It's gone if you blink
I can see it as soon as you think it
Dancehalls crystal balls
On sidewalk malls
Psychic people outdoors reading palms
I believe that you know more
To survive the dimension if four
Oh prisoner
My pretty oh oh prisoner
Look at the way she's searching
Trapped in a world that's hurting
So bad it makes her cry
But I won't let her say good bye
Twilight zone
Twilight zone
I'm floating in the dark alone and
I'm floating in the dark alone and
Is there any love out here let me know
No way
No way
My pretty oh oh prisoner
A black ocean is the sky above
Tiny lights bob what star you from
Trapped in material plane
She wants to fly and they think she's insane
But she knows what she know
Give that girl wings and that's all she wrote
Twilight zone
Twilight zone
I'm floating in the dark alone and
Is there any love out here let me know
A laser lights pinpoints the top of my dome
Then through my body
As if Scotty's beaming up a wayward soul
Mutant races in an ancient universe
Dark shadows humans rhymin' in a raggae verse
It's gone if you blink
I can see it as soon as you think it
Dancehalls crystal balls
On sidewalk malls
Psychic people outdoors reading palms
I believe that you know more
To survive the dimension if four
Oh prisoner
My pretty oh oh prisoner
Look at the way she's searching
Trapped in a world that's hurting
So bad it makes her cry
But I won't let her say good bye
Twilight zone
Twilight zone
I'm floating in the dark alone and
I'm floating in the dark alone and
Is there any love out here let me know
No way
No way
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
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."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
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/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
I believe this song is about divine consciousness being trapped in the physical plane, in human form.
It also seems to reference a future society, as reflected by the Burning Man festival (where people set up and live in domes, laser lights are everywhere, and streets with psychics). I wonder if the men from 311 have been to the playa.
I agree with your interpretation... Spirits stuck in the material world...<br /> <br /> I've been to the playa :)
"trapped in material plane" I think is referring to the idea that we are souls that have come down and been trapped here I'm the 3rd dimension and this causes some problems for us on planet earth here.
Kind of like that Sting song "we are spirits trapped in the material world"
I Love The Chorus I The Whole Song But I Don't Kno What It Means Directly
This song is about being an enlightened individual wanting to escape the "material plane". Wanting to go to the fourth dimension, where thought and subjectivity take place of objects and set physics.<br /> <br /> A beautiful song.
i think this songs about pasing thru the void going to the fourth dimension. the dome, our lightbody, is guided by angelic light pulling us upward out of the third to the fourth.... just my 2c
This is deffinently one of my favorite songs by 311. I think the song is about a girl thats traped in a world that hurts so bad it makes her cry. And she wants to accomplish great things but no one believes in her."She wants to fly and they think she's insane" I feel I can relate to this song a lot and 311 did a great job with it.
this was my favorite song off transistor until running grew on me. i think it's about trying to connect with people on a spiritual level, deeper (or perhaps higher?) than the materialistic and physical world in which we live.
have you ever done mushrooms? you dont think anything is real. and you know what you know. when you do shrooms you are in your own world. "floating in the dark alone" bad trip. "trip the shrooms fantastic, shit gets drastic.." its true. and then you become a prisoner to drugs.....
that, or a prisoner of this world, always wanting to be high instead. lol
i think this songs title pretty much self explanitory if you think about like your a prisoner to verything like somethins always trying to keep you down or confined hence the "I'm floating in the dark alone and Is there any love out here let me know' which means they feel alone is there any love out there
Very mellow and smooth. Like an aging whiskey almost.