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.
Well, I killed my dad in a con gone bad
Nearly drank myself to death
Oh, but when he died he said Lou had the cake
So I caught a bus headin' West
I saw the numbers running through a small café
And I knew I'd find my uncle Lou
That's when Eddie stepped up
He said, "Pick a card"
Said, "Shape the con before it shapes you"
Who sent ya?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Who sent ya, who sent ya?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Now I met my uncle for the very first time
And he sent me on a con with Ed
And now we keep callin' on his girl Diane
A blonde grifter dressed in red
I guess pigeon dropping was the name of the game
And I had to pay my dues
Well, fun time family fun was the plan
Said, "Shape the con before it shapes you"
Who sent ya?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Who sent ya, baby girl?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Sam Peckinpah tried to choke Eddie out
But he cut him from ear to ear
Then he grabbed old Lou said
"We fuck now"
On his face a twisted jeer
He took old Lou to the same café
And Eddie couldn't have been much higher
When he tied him up, it was his intent
To put his head in that deep fryer
Diane told me and I tackled Ed
As we did a little wiggle and dance
Oh, when we were done, Ed got a hot head, said
"Well vive la fuckin' France, man"
Someone tried' to kill me, man
(Who'd try to kill you, Eddie?)
The fucking hangers
Go, go
Someone tried to kill me, man
(Who'd try to kill you, Eddie?)
The fucking hangers!
Time to kiss the baby, friend
(All fuckin' summer long, sugar)
Who sent you?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Who sent ya, baby girl?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
You shape the con or it'll shape you
You shape the con
You shape the con or it'll shape you
You shape the con
Hi-fuckin'-yah
Nearly drank myself to death
Oh, but when he died he said Lou had the cake
So I caught a bus headin' West
I saw the numbers running through a small café
And I knew I'd find my uncle Lou
That's when Eddie stepped up
He said, "Pick a card"
Said, "Shape the con before it shapes you"
Who sent ya?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Who sent ya, who sent ya?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Now I met my uncle for the very first time
And he sent me on a con with Ed
And now we keep callin' on his girl Diane
A blonde grifter dressed in red
I guess pigeon dropping was the name of the game
And I had to pay my dues
Well, fun time family fun was the plan
Said, "Shape the con before it shapes you"
Who sent ya?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Who sent ya, baby girl?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Sam Peckinpah tried to choke Eddie out
But he cut him from ear to ear
Then he grabbed old Lou said
"We fuck now"
On his face a twisted jeer
He took old Lou to the same café
And Eddie couldn't have been much higher
When he tied him up, it was his intent
To put his head in that deep fryer
Diane told me and I tackled Ed
As we did a little wiggle and dance
Oh, when we were done, Ed got a hot head, said
"Well vive la fuckin' France, man"
Someone tried' to kill me, man
(Who'd try to kill you, Eddie?)
The fucking hangers
Go, go
Someone tried to kill me, man
(Who'd try to kill you, Eddie?)
The fucking hangers!
Time to kiss the baby, friend
(All fuckin' summer long, sugar)
Who sent you?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
Who sent ya, baby girl?
Sam fuckin' Peckinpah
Yeah, who sent ya?
You shape the con or it'll shape you
You shape the con
You shape the con or it'll shape you
You shape the con
Hi-fuckin'-yah
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
LOL and according to the above comment, the final lyric (which I always also though was 'praise fucking God)' would actually be:
Hi FUCKIN' Yah!!!
Also, Lynn does NOT say 'la' in Viva la Fuckin' France man! (he just says viva fuckin' France man).