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 fragile keep secrets
Gathered in pockets
And they'll sell them for nothing
A cheap watch or locket
That kind of gold just washes off
And the sad act like lepers
They stick to the shadows
They long to ring bells of warning
To tell of their coming
So that the pure can shut their doors
And the angry are animals
Senseless and savage
They act without order
In logical lapses
They stain their mouths with blood
So take my hand
This barren land is alive tonight
Oh, the corn has grown stalks
That form a wall to hide
But the wind carries sounds
That I can't see from beyond that line
Then the stalks begin to sway
Oh, so stay with me, Arienette
'Til the wolves are away
Yup
Well, the wicked are vultures
And they bake in the canyons
They circle in sunlight
And wait for their victims
To collapse and call to them
And the desperate are water
They'll run down forever
And they soak into silence
And end up together
In a dark and distant, dark and distant place
So don't leave me here with only mirrors watching me
This house, it holds nothing but the memories
And the moon, it leaves silver but never sleep
Then the silver turns to gray
Oh, you stay with me, Arienette
Until the wolves are away
Gathered in pockets
And they'll sell them for nothing
A cheap watch or locket
That kind of gold just washes off
And the sad act like lepers
They stick to the shadows
They long to ring bells of warning
To tell of their coming
So that the pure can shut their doors
And the angry are animals
Senseless and savage
They act without order
In logical lapses
They stain their mouths with blood
So take my hand
This barren land is alive tonight
Oh, the corn has grown stalks
That form a wall to hide
But the wind carries sounds
That I can't see from beyond that line
Then the stalks begin to sway
Oh, so stay with me, Arienette
'Til the wolves are away
Yup
Well, the wicked are vultures
And they bake in the canyons
They circle in sunlight
And wait for their victims
To collapse and call to them
And the desperate are water
They'll run down forever
And they soak into silence
And end up together
In a dark and distant, dark and distant place
So don't leave me here with only mirrors watching me
This house, it holds nothing but the memories
And the moon, it leaves silver but never sleep
Then the silver turns to gray
Oh, you stay with me, Arienette
Until the wolves are away
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Light Up The Sky
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Dreamwalker
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
I Can't Go To Sleep
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Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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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.
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.
Ok, firstly before interpreting any song on this album - its important to bear in mind that the entire record is a concept album, focussing on Conor's suffering from clinical depression, plus that he blends his own real life experiences with other people's and fictional stories. Anyway, here's my interpretation...
He begins by explaining the different emotions one goes through with depression and all the different aspects of it. Not just saying "uhh, i'm depressed...woe is me! cuts wrists
"The fragile keep secrets, gathered in pockets And they will sell them for nothing A cheap watch or locket That kind of gold washes off"
He explains his fragility and his over-sensitive personality and because of this, his depression causes him to feel unable to talk to people about his problems and so they bottle it up. The locket refers back to 'A spindle...' in which the metaphorical locket holds a secret that isn't told, so it 'chokes your neck'. The 'gold washes off' means that you can only hide behind a front for so long, because people will realise how you've changed in personality due to the depression. Refering to 'Sunrise, Sunset - "when was the last time you looked in a MIRROR cause you've CHANGED."
"The sad at like lepers, they stick to the shadows And long to ring bells of warning To tell of their coming So that the pure can shut their doors"
The sad refers to another symptom of depression. Again, this refers to not explaining your problems "they stick to the shadows" and even arousing self loathing, wanting to completely isolate themselves from those who appear good and pure, this reflects the symptom of feeling guilty and that no-one likes you anymore.
"The angry are animals, senseless and savage They act without order in logical lapses They stain their mouths with blood"
He talks about how his anger and frustration cause him to behave completely differently (Sunrise sunset - "Become everything you said you never would be") and the "logical lapses" states that he's fallen and has been degraded (evolution wise, he views himself as less of a human, like an animal) although now it makes sense to him, looking at his destruction in a hopeless manner, again bringing it back to depression symptoms, feeling constantly tired and feeling like a failure. "They stain their mouths with blood" is slightly unclear although it could refer to possibly saying things you don't mean, due to the confussion caused by medication or perhaps doing bad things which you regret later and feel like an animal for doing.
"So take my hand, this barren land is alive tonight The corn has grown stalks that form a wall that hides"
The barren land appears to be metaphorical for his moods and emotion and its alive tonight with all the elements of depression (the lepars, the animals) and he's praying for redeption from it. The corn gives the impression of perhaps a farm house in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by animals and the stalks reflect something that he hides behind, in fear.
"The wind carries sounds that I can’t see from beyond that line. Then the stalks begin to sway"
The goings on in his life and around him are unclear for him (the interview - "a lot of things are really unclear for me right now") A symptom of depression is confussion and the inability to make decisions. "Then the stalks begin to sway" The stalks which he hides behind begin to sway with the wind, carrying all his secrets and demons and exposing him.
"Oh stay with me, Arienette, until the wolves are away"
The wolves are obvious a metaphor for his fever adn resemble the different aspects of depression ("stick to the shadows"..."animals, senseless and savage") And until he escapes and recovers from his depression he desperatly needs some form of redemption to comfort him, his 'Arienette' presumable a woman, judging by the interview but it someone who he's yet to meet, and lives for someone who may not exist, but the hope allows him to salvage some strength. (In the inteview "she's about as real as you or i" he means that both him and the interviewer could potentially be somebody's true love and bring redemption to another unfortuante individual) and this can refer to "June on the west coast (NOT on fevers and mirrors) in which, when he plays it live, he sings "I thought about my true love, the one i've never seen, with eyes that burn so bright they make me pure...i long to be with you." Arienette is her current name until he finds her.
Right, i need to pop out - I'll interpret the rest later