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.
So you watch the sunrise sinking, and she's talking in her sleep. A dream of how alone she was tomorrow when you keep all those promises to someone in a mirror you will find at your parents' house in 1989. Terrorized by the ruling party: calendars and commas. Small request, could we please turn around? So you whisper your arrival walking backwards to the door. Wonder briefly what it is you're hesitating for. All the streets lie down, deserted in the darkest part of night, to lead you through the evening to the light. Pulled along in the tender grip of watches and ellipses. Small request. Could we please turn around?
Lyrics submitted by lakeoffire23
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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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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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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.
sentences leading into sentences, strung together, intertwined i'm in love with the way this song is strung together. it's been said, but it can never be said enough - the weakerthans have a ridiculously and amazingly profound way to write songs. honestly, i don't know of any other band that, in every song, somehow finds a way to pierce your heart and change your life. somehow, they key in to the things that every human needs to be taught, and continually reminded. and they're all so seemingly nostalgic. and personal. but universal. no one else can do this.
Immediately, this song starts off with the end of another day - putting you in the frame of mind (if you catch it) so that you can realize that life is always slipping away…your life is always getting shorter. And then - “A dream of how alone she was tomorrow” is so precious. Just another way to make you remember that your life is always getting shorter… that the fact that ‘there’s always a new day’ can be just as terrorizing as it is hopeful. We get stuck sometimes… stuck in a place, in a state of mind. We are the hollow men, and the stuffed men (thank you t.s. elliot) but we are also the stuck men. “Tomorrow, when you keep all those promises to someone in a mirror you will find ……“ (that someone is you, of course.) Even promises we’ve made to ourselves place us in a rut. Life changes, fixing our mistakes and flaws --- it can become habit. Focusing on bettering yourself, keeping your self-made promises, will… make you ‘better,’ i guess… but there’s always a change that you’re attacking your very soul - what you’re supposed to be … maybe you’re removing from yourself something that someone needs you to be. Eh, all that’s pretty off the wall and not as connected to the song as … this:
Time moves on. And on. And on. Everything always continues. you.can’t.make.it.stop. And that makes it so easy to waste our days. calendars and commas DO terrorize us…. Rules and time and continuation.
Doesn’t that make you want to live? right now…in the moment, when the past doesn’t matter and the future doesn’t matter? only right then and there. That’s “turning around.” Get unstuck!
the next ‘verse’ (that’s what it is, i guess) is beautifully composed. While listening or reading or whatever - just think about how no matter what you do or where you’re doing it…. Time keeps moving. The ticking of watches and the eternal continuation of ellipses (“…”) have trapped us… gently - without us even noticing. and what’s so strange about it all is that humans created time, to some degree. we don’t make the sun rise and set --- but we fill in the gaps with numbers. count the hours, days, and years. we’ve trapped ourselves. … our watches and ellipses will continue to gently pull us along. We can’t escape.
But we can turn around! Get unstuck!