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.
A broad incision sits across the evening
The victim to our fathers lost war
The restless children sit and mourn the graves
Of those they've never seen before
Will they be buried here among the dead?
In the silent secret
The pioneers
In dealing with it they march for dawn
Of Will and worthy
The truth be told the child was born
Man your own jackhammer
Man your battle stations
We'll have you dead pretty soon and now
Sincerely written from my brother's blood machine
Man your battle stations
We'll have you home pretty soon and now
Awake through motion with curios to curtain your first move
Over arm's length they'll break protocol
Jealous envy for the youngest one
To be the hero is all I'll ask
Can I be buried here among the dead?
With room to honor me here in the end
You'll be better off too soon
You'll be better off when you get home
The pioneers
In dealing with it they'll march for dawn
For Will and worthy
The truth be told, the child was born
Man your own jackhammer
Man your battle stations
We'll have you dead pretty soon and now
Sincerely written from my brother's blood machine
Man your battle stations
We'll have you home pretty soon and now
For you, I'd do anything
Just to make you happy
Hear you tell me that you're proud of me
For them, I'll kill anything
Cut the throats of babies for them
Break their hearts for they were them
Waiting for you to say
"I love you too"
The navigator, the pilot
Her favorite
The one they call the vision that bears the gift
The navigator, the pilot
Her favorite
The one they call the vision that bears the gift
Will, do the children really understand
The things you did to them?
And why, oh, why?
Should they conjure up the will?
For you, my love, I would kill him
We're coming home pretty soon
We're coming home
In the seventh turning hour
Will the victims shadow fall?
Should the irony grow hungry
With the victory and all they sought for
We were one among the Fence
One among the Fence
We're coming home
Man your own jackhammer
Man your battle stations
We'll have you dead pretty soon and now
Sincerely written from my brother's blood machine
Man your battle stations
We'll have you home pretty soon tonight
The victim to our fathers lost war
The restless children sit and mourn the graves
Of those they've never seen before
Will they be buried here among the dead?
In the silent secret
The pioneers
In dealing with it they march for dawn
Of Will and worthy
The truth be told the child was born
Man your own jackhammer
Man your battle stations
We'll have you dead pretty soon and now
Sincerely written from my brother's blood machine
Man your battle stations
We'll have you home pretty soon and now
Awake through motion with curios to curtain your first move
Over arm's length they'll break protocol
Jealous envy for the youngest one
To be the hero is all I'll ask
Can I be buried here among the dead?
With room to honor me here in the end
You'll be better off too soon
You'll be better off when you get home
The pioneers
In dealing with it they'll march for dawn
For Will and worthy
The truth be told, the child was born
Man your own jackhammer
Man your battle stations
We'll have you dead pretty soon and now
Sincerely written from my brother's blood machine
Man your battle stations
We'll have you home pretty soon and now
For you, I'd do anything
Just to make you happy
Hear you tell me that you're proud of me
For them, I'll kill anything
Cut the throats of babies for them
Break their hearts for they were them
Waiting for you to say
"I love you too"
The navigator, the pilot
Her favorite
The one they call the vision that bears the gift
The navigator, the pilot
Her favorite
The one they call the vision that bears the gift
Will, do the children really understand
The things you did to them?
And why, oh, why?
Should they conjure up the will?
For you, my love, I would kill him
We're coming home pretty soon
We're coming home
In the seventh turning hour
Will the victims shadow fall?
Should the irony grow hungry
With the victory and all they sought for
We were one among the Fence
One among the Fence
We're coming home
Man your own jackhammer
Man your battle stations
We'll have you dead pretty soon and now
Sincerely written from my brother's blood machine
Man your battle stations
We'll have you home pretty soon tonight
Lyrics submitted by fallacies, edited by Mellow_Harsher
In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 Lyrics as written by Travis Stever Claudio Sanchez
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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"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.
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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.
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
This song is what got me hooked to Co & Ca they are great the story is great and i can't wait untilt he graphic novel comes out. SHould clear alot fo things up about the story