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.
She said I'll throw myself away
They're just photos after all
I can't make you hang around
I can't wash you off my skin
Outside the frame, is what we're leaving out
You won't remember anyway
I can go with the flow (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Don't say it doesn't matter, matter anymore
I can go with the flow (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Do you believe it in your head?
It's so safe to play along
Little soldiers in a row
Falling in and out of love
Something sweet to throw away
I want something good to die for
To make it beautiful to live
I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate
Do you believe it in your head?
I can go with the flow (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Don't say it doesn't matter, matter anymore
I can go with the flow (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Do you believe it in your head?
Do you believe it in your head?
Do you believe it in your head?
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
They're just photos after all
I can't make you hang around
I can't wash you off my skin
Outside the frame, is what we're leaving out
You won't remember anyway
I can go with the flow (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Don't say it doesn't matter, matter anymore
I can go with the flow (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Do you believe it in your head?
It's so safe to play along
Little soldiers in a row
Falling in and out of love
Something sweet to throw away
I want something good to die for
To make it beautiful to live
I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate
Do you believe it in your head?
I can go with the flow (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Don't say it doesn't matter, matter anymore
I can go with the flow (oh, oh, oh, oh)
Do you believe it in your head?
Do you believe it in your head?
Do you believe it in your head?
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
(Oh, oh, oh, oh)
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“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.
It’s about a guy who is in love with a lady that has been emotionally damaged in the past and now she dates people for a short while. When things start to get more serious in the relationship, she’s out the door and into another relationship leaving behind a broken heart. She leaves emotionlessly and he says he will go with the flow and let her leave without a fighting for her but just don’t say what they had wasn’t special. The lines “She said I’ll throw myself away, There just photos after all ,I can’t make you hang around, I can’t wash you off my skin, Outside the frame, is what we’re leaving out” is referencing when she takes him out sight, he no longer exist to her but he still has feelings for her and they don’t wash away. What’s outside of those pictures is what she’s forgetting.
The second verse makes me wonder if they are both the victims of emotionally damaged relationships. The first meaning. The second set of lines is the game she is playing. “It’s so safe to play along, Little soldiers in a row, Falling in and out of love, Something sweet to throw away” It describes her game. Little soldiers are the future guys who will date her just to have the same thing happen. “I want something good to die for, To make it beautiful to live” He wants a real relationship with someone with reciprocating feelings.
“I want a new mistake, to lose is more than to hesitate” Interesting twist on words here but I believe he want another relationship even if he loses the next one also. To lose love is better than to hesitate and not have love. The second meaning could also mean he may be as damaged and he always finds women like this and he reacts the same way in every relationship. Thinking of it this way could also change the second verse of lines saying it’s basically his game and he constantly finds women who are emotionally unavailable. The soldiers are the women he will date just to be constantly rejected.
Either way, it’s about emotionally damaged people who go through fucked up relationships. Great rock song with an awesome vid.
"I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate."
the whole songmeaning here it´s condensed on this particular line. I don´t know how it´s hard for some people to understand the meaning of it. To lose is more than hesitate cause if you lost something, it means that you DID something, you TRIED, of course. TO hESITATE is NOT doing, NOT trying...therefore lose is MUCH more than hesitate.
this line, this idea, is my motto.
I think you're right. To simplify: <br /> It's better to have loved and lost (lose), <br /> then never to have loved at all (hesitate).
@BrazilianFan
@BrazilianFan
I'm going to pitch a different take on this song.
I believe this song is about two people in separate long relationships that are about to cheat on their partners with each other.
She said "I'll throw myself away, They're just photos after all"
This is her lying to herself. In her mind, in the moment, she convinces herself that she can cheat on her partner, and it's no big deal.
"I can't make you hang around. I can't wash you off my skin."
He's forfeiting choice, I'm not entirely at fault, I'm not making you stay here. But I can't get the thoughts of you out of my head, and if you stay we both know what will happen.
"Outside the frame, is what we're leaving out. You won't remember anyway"
Outside the happy parts presented to everyone else, we actually aren't that happy in our relationships. We won't be stuck thinking about them when this is happening.
"I can go with the flow"
There is something real here right now, and I'm open to it.
"Do you believe it in your head"
Do you feel this way too?
"It's so safe to play along. Little soldiers in a row. Falling in and out of love. With something sweet to throw away"
Some people are okay with experiencing love the old fashioned way, dating, relationships, heartbreak. Inevitably old relationships don't matter, they are just a sweet memory.
"But I want something good to die for. To make it beautiful to live. I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate."
I don't wan't to be that old fashioned person. I want to experience something real in my life. Even if it means doing something bad, I want to be able to actually look back on doing something crazy just once in my life.
@Devils_Advocate exactly!! This is precisely how ive always interpreted this amazing song! To a tee.
SONG MEANING: He can go with the flow, only because that's all the girl wants, to have sex and move on, who wouldnt' go with that? But he wants something that means more.
"But I want something good to die for To make it beautiful to live. "
Notice the irony in what he says. He feels empty and wants something to make life beautiful, worth dieing over.
By the way, this video kicks so much ass!!!! I play this video every nite before i go to bed, I just loop the video and watch it till i fall alseep. Too bad i dont dream about the girl in the video :(
Laaaaaaate!!!!! :D
brain case - i agree. it's probably lapsteel guitar, an instrument they've been using in their songs for ages, and which helps them stand out as the best band around(as well as the fact they are genius songwriters and musicians)
LPgurl - sorry, i just think they're photos. yeah, they could be pornographic. but that doesnt come to MY mind first (hehe, ye of the dirty mind)
The song is not about an ex. The is a little more complex than that. It's actually a stroy. It's about a man who wants love and only love out of relationships. at first, sex isn't all tah important, its the happiness derived from the relationship that counts... ...the girl had a slightly different plan.
She doesn't care anymore, she used him, and now shes moving on. The memories (photos) mean nothing to her, she'll throw them away. He's saying that its more than just the memories, its the feelings, and he can't get over so easily.
He comes to a decision, its fine for her to leave, but don't act like it never meant anything. Does she really believe what she's saying?
A new man, "going with the flow". Hardened by a past failed relationship, he doesn't care anymore. He's given up. Meaningless Sex now fills void. It's easily to go along liek everyone else and do whatever girls want you to. Almost like soldiers, doing what they are supposed. "Falling in and out of love", never trying to make anything stick. Throwing away something that could have been nice. He wants that "something good to die for. To make it beautiful to live" (happiness).Still searching for the one through all those othe girls, but because of past pain, never taking it to the next level.
A lesson to all you ass-holes who think all girls are about is sex and more sex is good. Shows either how stupid and void of emotion you are, or how much u need to grow up
and yeah, I'm a guy.
"But I want something good to die for To make it beautiful to live."
Agh so simple yet so true.
If you play this song backwards, like not on a record, but download FL studio, then set the recording to reverse, it sounds like Josh is speaking in spanish... and the song actually sounds really cool too.
I think the title of the song explains what is about, is about just letting things happens and not taking any chances in a relationship because we are confortable
I think it means that it's not as hard as you may think to get over something or someone. Mind over matter. If you really want to get over it, you will.