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.
I can hear the tick of the clock
Too close to my head
It's giving me a headache
To think of all the tick-tocks I've ever heard
Only one second counted, now didn't it?
Once, long ago
It was like an atom bomb went off in my house
And everybody left
I wish I were a superhero like the X-Men in the comics
'Cause maybe then I could've withstood the blast
Oh but I shattered like an ordinary sheet of glass
And there's not enough superglue in the world
How long
Till I feel whole again?
Oh, I wish I were just like the T1000 in Terminator 2
'Cause he could melt back together again
Even after Schwarzenegger blew him to bits
Yeah, he was mean, but he knew exactly who he was
Oh, and incidentally, so did that guy, Kaiser Soze
In Usual Suspects, but he had to blow his whole family away
How long
Till I feel whole again?
I wish I could lie
I wish I didn't care
I wish I could like just like that guy
I wish I could lie
I wish I didn't care
I wish I could like just like that guy
I wish I could lie
I wish I didn't care
I wish I could like just like that guy
I can hear the tick of that clock
Still close to my head
Maybe if I couldn't hear the seconds pass
I wouldn't have to ask:
How long
Till I feel whole again?
Too close to my head
It's giving me a headache
To think of all the tick-tocks I've ever heard
Only one second counted, now didn't it?
Once, long ago
It was like an atom bomb went off in my house
And everybody left
I wish I were a superhero like the X-Men in the comics
'Cause maybe then I could've withstood the blast
Oh but I shattered like an ordinary sheet of glass
And there's not enough superglue in the world
How long
Till I feel whole again?
Oh, I wish I were just like the T1000 in Terminator 2
'Cause he could melt back together again
Even after Schwarzenegger blew him to bits
Yeah, he was mean, but he knew exactly who he was
Oh, and incidentally, so did that guy, Kaiser Soze
In Usual Suspects, but he had to blow his whole family away
How long
Till I feel whole again?
I wish I could lie
I wish I didn't care
I wish I could like just like that guy
I wish I could lie
I wish I didn't care
I wish I could like just like that guy
I wish I could lie
I wish I didn't care
I wish I could like just like that guy
I can hear the tick of that clock
Still close to my head
Maybe if I couldn't hear the seconds pass
I wouldn't have to ask:
How long
Till I feel whole again?
Lyrics submitted by rainbowbrite!!
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i wish she'd release another album already.
"I wish I were a superhero like the x-men in the comics 'cause maybe then I could've withstood the blast oh, but I shattered like an ordinary sheet of glass and there's not enough superglue in the world,"
these are some of the most powerful lines i've ever heard in a song. that's exactly how i've been feeling lately.
as for the meaning of the song, it's about being broken up over a huge event that happened in her past[family-related], and she still can't get over it...she wonders how long it will be until she'll be healed from the whole ordeal.
as for what it means to me, when someone hurts you deeply[shattering you like a sheet of glass], you really start to wonder if you'll ever be able to piece yourself back together again completely. you find yourself reliving it over and over again, and you really just wish you didn't care or were "strong enough to withstand the blast" in the first place...but we're not all superheros, and i guess we just have to suffer through it until it goes away or heals itself. til then, tick tock will ring eternally in your ears.