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.
Been thinking about you, your records a hit
Your eyes are on my wall, your teeth are over there
But I'm still no one, and you're not a star
What do you care?
Been thinking about you, and there's no rest
Shit, I still love you, still see you in bed
But I'm playing with myself
What do you care when the other men are far, far better?
All the things you got
All the things you need
Who bought you cigarettes
Who bribed the company to come and see you, honey
I've been thinking about you, so how can you sleep?
These people aren't your friends, they're paid to kiss your feet
They don't know what I know
Why should you care, when I'm not there?
Been thinking about you, and there's no rest
Shit, I still love you, still see you in bed
But I'm playing with myself?
What do you care when I'm not there?
All the things you got
That you'll never need
All the things you got
I've bled and I bleed to please you
Been thinking about you
Your eyes are on my wall, your teeth are over there
But I'm still no one, and you're not a star
What do you care?
Been thinking about you, and there's no rest
Shit, I still love you, still see you in bed
But I'm playing with myself
What do you care when the other men are far, far better?
All the things you got
All the things you need
Who bought you cigarettes
Who bribed the company to come and see you, honey
I've been thinking about you, so how can you sleep?
These people aren't your friends, they're paid to kiss your feet
They don't know what I know
Why should you care, when I'm not there?
Been thinking about you, and there's no rest
Shit, I still love you, still see you in bed
But I'm playing with myself?
What do you care when I'm not there?
All the things you got
That you'll never need
All the things you got
I've bled and I bleed to please you
Been thinking about you
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"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.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
I actually think this song is meant to be satirical: it is about our obsessions with celebrities. The subject in the song is absolutely infatuated with this celebrity and is deluded into thinking there is something there that isn't .(To digress: that reminds me of There There's lyrics, "Just cause you feel it, doesn't mean it's there.) These lines seem to infer that she is famous: "Your records are here" could literally be that the subject owns her music. "Your eyes on my wall" makes me think that the subject has a poster of her on his wall. I think some people here have already realized that this person is a celebrity. In the chorus, the lines "Who bribed the company to see you honey" could literally mean that the subject bribed security so he could go and see her at her show. Furthermore, the lines "these people aren't your friends, they're paid to kiss your feet/ they don't know what I know" mean that the subject is jealous/angry at this celebrity's company because he thinks he is the only sincere one who really loves her and the others are just there to feed off her fame. The rest of the song is pretty much straightforward about how he does everything for her and she doesn't seem to care.
I think this interpretation makes more sense if you think about Thom's character back in the late 80s/early 90s. He wouldn't just make a cheesy love song so it's entirely possible he's critiquing society. People now are just starting to see 'Creep' as a sarcastic song too.