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 can sell yourself on blue diamonds
Call Vice, it takes a day to explain the crime
You laugh at what the LA Times says about us
But delight at my first try at being sly
Finished the third page
Time for a break
You make a gang sign framing your face
Time for the hard light
Time to get dressed
Good luck, God bless
It feels like this is happening in tree time
I stand up and toast the TV for getting it right
God willing and the creek don't rise
I've got two thousand dollars
And a bulls-eye between my eyes
These chickens are fish in a barrel
And the tall one is gonna be for sale
'Cause you're so good at waiting
(It's about time we took a ride)
I'll be seeing you
Call Vice, it takes a day to explain the crime
You laugh at what the LA Times says about us
But delight at my first try at being sly
Finished the third page
Time for a break
You make a gang sign framing your face
Time for the hard light
Time to get dressed
Good luck, God bless
It feels like this is happening in tree time
I stand up and toast the TV for getting it right
God willing and the creek don't rise
I've got two thousand dollars
And a bulls-eye between my eyes
These chickens are fish in a barrel
And the tall one is gonna be for sale
'Cause you're so good at waiting
(It's about time we took a ride)
I'll be seeing you
Lyrics submitted by sarahsavedlatin
Blue Diamonds Lyrics as written by John Roderick
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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This is my favorite Long Winters song.
ahhh i love this song so much! it is so catchy!!! i also love the lyrics! so absurd! it doesnt make any sense at all that i can tell....and i love it
Methinks it does actually make some sense. It would seem to be from the perspective of someone who is either planning or has just comitted a complicated heist of some sort. Anyway, damn catchy. I'm just sayin'.
ahaha the best line is " these chickens are fish in a barrel and the tall ones is gonna be for sale"
it makes a lot of sensee.
i could never in my entire life get sick of this song. it's exciting to listen to, the lyrics are cleverly imagined. and i imagine the writer is very creative.
"These chickens are fish in a barrel And the tall one is gonna be for sale"
A now departed friend had a theory that this line was a pointed reference to Harvey Danger, and specifically Sean Nelson. Sean was the tallest member of HD, and indeed just tall in general, and in the early 2000's HD was on hiatus with Sean joining TLW. (Hence his linkage to "the tall one is gonna be for sale"....jumping from HD to TLW)
So, When I Pretend to Fall was released in 2003. At a TLW show in Chicago circa 2007 he went up to John Roderick pre-show with this theory, and John always playing coy just kind of laughed it off. However, Blue Diamonds was of course a regular part of the set list at this point. He and I score front row standing places for the show, so John def saw us from the start of the set. It's Blue Diamonds time and right as this lyric comes up John stares directly at us with this big sh** eating grin staring right at us and nodding.
For my friend, this was all the confirmation he needed.
Now, to be fair, John might have been just playing with us....it's not outside of his nature.....we'll never know for sure.