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.
it started off like any other show. sunday nights on the radio. terry played the songs we wanted to hear. and terry said things no one else would dare. he gave it all that he had to give. they said it was his only reason to live. but we just listened to the ruck n roll. terry the dj's radio show. he give it some of that argy bargy. giving it all the chat. he give it some argy bargy. now what do you think of that. then came the evening of the mile end row. the ol' bill found out i don't know how. we know they tried to lock us up that night. we were ready for a fight. terry came onto the air at ten. he said the filth were waiting for us then. down at the black boy they were there in force. and he war right of course. they told him that he'd better change the song. they said to tell us that the kids were wrong. they gave him one more sunday night, to get it right. that was the night when the girls all cried. that was the night that he said goodbye. 'cos no matter who paid him, terry never told us a lie.
Lyrics submitted by x_melancholy_x
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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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,
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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/
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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.
Morbadum - I have always heard argy bargy means trouble or arguing. It makes more sense in the context of the song as Terry is causing trouble by telling the truth and going against the government. I looked it up on a slang site and it said the samething.
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such a good song. About not taking crap from people. ahh, we need some Terrys on the radio today...
what does the phrase 'argy bargy' mean?
Does anyone know if this refers to a real incident?
Argy bargy is a term for an argument. I believe "Terry the DJ" to be Terry Christian, who appeared on (and later gained notoriety for) the UK series, "Devil's Advocate" where youth on the dole were interviewed regarding the details of the "Brixton Riot" to provide their side of the events. Terry Christian was also college friends with John Maher of The Buzzcocks and featured lots of punk/post punk on his radio shows in the 80s in the UK
youtube.com/channel/UCSE_jh74G4xyHMOzOahXGAQ
Morbadum- "Argy Bargy" means pretty much like Casual Conversation, Bullshitting, shooting the breeze, whatever you wanna call it.