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.
In the dumb fat side
Of the heavy, sweaty black
Malaria night
You can tell the shit
From the essence of heaven
In the smash and grab
In the sharp attack
Dishonest night
You can say what you want
And somebody listen
There's laughter and glass
And perfume and flags
And kisses and trains
And roses and vaccine
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
Whatever gets you acclimatised
Radiation and downcast eyes
Serious sight
We're looking for a wild machine
Cybernetic rabies
Syndication and sympathy
Might work for you but not for me
I love you best when it's all a mess
Will you lie for me cry for me
Die for me will you please
(Oh) never never never never
Never never never say no
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
In the dumb fat side
Of the heavy sweaty black
Malaria night
You can say what you want
And somebody listen
Gonna say what I really want
(Come on say what you really want)
Gonna say what I really want
(Yeah say what you really want)
Wanna live with Halo Jones
Wanna home that's miles from home
Wanna drugs from the twighlight zone
Wanna never never never never
Never never never say no
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
Of the heavy, sweaty black
Malaria night
You can tell the shit
From the essence of heaven
In the smash and grab
In the sharp attack
Dishonest night
You can say what you want
And somebody listen
There's laughter and glass
And perfume and flags
And kisses and trains
And roses and vaccine
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
Whatever gets you acclimatised
Radiation and downcast eyes
Serious sight
We're looking for a wild machine
Cybernetic rabies
Syndication and sympathy
Might work for you but not for me
I love you best when it's all a mess
Will you lie for me cry for me
Die for me will you please
(Oh) never never never never
Never never never say no
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
In the dumb fat side
Of the heavy sweaty black
Malaria night
You can say what you want
And somebody listen
Gonna say what I really want
(Come on say what you really want)
Gonna say what I really want
(Yeah say what you really want)
Wanna live with Halo Jones
Wanna home that's miles from home
Wanna drugs from the twighlight zone
Wanna never never never never
Never never never say no
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
I'm living in a neon house
I'm living in avalanche road
I'm living in hangover city
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
And all these unforseen things tumble down
I've got a love and it won't stop burning
Lyrics submitted by anemic_knifeprty
Malaria Lyrics as written by Carl Marsh Barry William Andrews
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Word Collections Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
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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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Maybe there's some deeper meaning here, but I suspect this is just a celebration of what a great year 1984 was for sci-fi/comic geeks.
The Ballad of Halo Jones was a then-current Alan Moore comic strip in 2000 AD. The first point of the strip was to do far-future sci-fi with a strong female heroine while managing to avoid the standard (especially for 2000 AD) tropes of "guns, guys, and gore"; Halo was just an everyday girl living everyday life in the future. The other point was to use the comic medium to completely avoid exposition: the reader should learn everything there is to know about 50th century life by paying careful attention to the scenery and the background action.
I think the lines about "perfume and flags" also relate to Halo Jones, but I don't have a copy to check, and it's been a long time… So maybe they're a reference to something else.
Cybernetic rabies, neon houses, Hangover City… Cyberpunk was brand new and exciting. Instead of trying to predict centuries in the future, writers just extrapolated a couple decades (or "15 seconds"—the Max Headroom movie was also 1984) to mega-cities filled with shiny tech and grimy alleys, where everyone is a junkie skating by on the edge of survival.
I have no idea about the malaria nights. That whole verse has more of a 19th century African adventure feel than 80s sci-fi. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was another 2000 AD strip or something.
And finally, "And all these unforeseen things tumble down. I've got a love and it won't stop burning." No idea.