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.
Cut, dissected from within
Like clockwork run the cells
An unearthly silent din
A constant toll of bells
Mocking laughter evermore
No sight of a refrain
Waiting on my lonely quest
Asylum of the brain
Brain
The darkest caverns of my mind
Hold terrors so consuming
Look within and soon you'll find
Your psyche I'm subsuming
More than flesh and blood can bear
Ensnared within my brain
Eyes in fear, eyes in terror
Adversity is pain
Adversity is pain
Pain...
Within the faculty of fools
Leering warders, intimidation
Playing games at all my rules
Is feeding their frustration
The blood inside my temples pulsing
While I'm locked away
Thoughts within my head convulsing
For the time my captors pay
Stop the torment, cut me loose
Unbind me from my chains
Before my eyes a veil of mist
Encompassing and grey
Once again
Momentarily free of pain
Pain...
Pain...
Pain...
Stop the pain and rip me open
Tear out my tormentors
Release me from agony
Blinding my nerve centres
Only known emotions
Are the anger and the sadness
Overshadowed totally by
Unrevokable madness
Held inside this sterile box
My thoughts turn now to charnel
Fantasise, yet I remain
Still locked inside eternal
I'll not escape but I will wait
Patience will run true
Visitation you will see
This madness is in you
Like clockwork run the cells
An unearthly silent din
A constant toll of bells
Mocking laughter evermore
No sight of a refrain
Waiting on my lonely quest
Asylum of the brain
Brain
The darkest caverns of my mind
Hold terrors so consuming
Look within and soon you'll find
Your psyche I'm subsuming
More than flesh and blood can bear
Ensnared within my brain
Eyes in fear, eyes in terror
Adversity is pain
Adversity is pain
Pain...
Within the faculty of fools
Leering warders, intimidation
Playing games at all my rules
Is feeding their frustration
The blood inside my temples pulsing
While I'm locked away
Thoughts within my head convulsing
For the time my captors pay
Stop the torment, cut me loose
Unbind me from my chains
Before my eyes a veil of mist
Encompassing and grey
Once again
Momentarily free of pain
Pain...
Pain...
Pain...
Stop the pain and rip me open
Tear out my tormentors
Release me from agony
Blinding my nerve centres
Only known emotions
Are the anger and the sadness
Overshadowed totally by
Unrevokable madness
Held inside this sterile box
My thoughts turn now to charnel
Fantasise, yet I remain
Still locked inside eternal
I'll not escape but I will wait
Patience will run true
Visitation you will see
This madness is in you
Lyrics submitted by ruben
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