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.
Dust begins to fall to the ground (And you sit there and do nothing)
The air is cold and thin (You're content with doing nothing)
Thoughts are haunting me as I look around (But in my life, I wanted more)
This will never end, when I'll bleed forever (This will never end)
Don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong
This spot in hell's where I belong
I've come so far, it's been so long
Don't know why it started or where it came from
Outside shell is strong (There is nowhere to run and hide) confident
But slowly eats away (Stuck alone inside your head)
Like a man plagued with disease, I try to fight (Guess you're better off dead)
Through my pores it seems to seep (Your mind bleeding)
When I'll bleed forever
Don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong
This spot in hell's where I belong
I've come so far, it's been so long
Don't know why it started or where it came from
And you sit there and do nothing
You're content with doing nothing
There's nowhere to run and hide
When you're living to die
Stuck alone inside your head,
Better off dead
The phone would ring in the empty house,
No one's around
Don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong
This spot in hell's where I belong
I've come so far, it's been so long
Don't know why it started or where it came from
But in my life, I wanted more
I needed more, I taste more
The air is cold and thin (You're content with doing nothing)
Thoughts are haunting me as I look around (But in my life, I wanted more)
This will never end, when I'll bleed forever (This will never end)
Don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong
This spot in hell's where I belong
I've come so far, it's been so long
Don't know why it started or where it came from
Outside shell is strong (There is nowhere to run and hide) confident
But slowly eats away (Stuck alone inside your head)
Like a man plagued with disease, I try to fight (Guess you're better off dead)
Through my pores it seems to seep (Your mind bleeding)
When I'll bleed forever
Don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong
This spot in hell's where I belong
I've come so far, it's been so long
Don't know why it started or where it came from
And you sit there and do nothing
You're content with doing nothing
There's nowhere to run and hide
When you're living to die
Stuck alone inside your head,
Better off dead
The phone would ring in the empty house,
No one's around
Don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong
This spot in hell's where I belong
I've come so far, it's been so long
Don't know why it started or where it came from
But in my life, I wanted more
I needed more, I taste more
Lyrics submitted by thienosaurus
Clairvoyant Disease Lyrics as written by James Owen Sullivan Brian Elwin Haner Jr.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this song is about the "clairvoyant disease"( go figure) to understand what the song's about you have to know the def. of clairvoyant(clairvoyance)is... it is the ability to sense something non-physical beyond the range of normal perception. so "clairvoyan disease" is about lonlieness and depression. allow me to explian... Basicly the song is saying that he has someone but he feels that he's waisting his life, just waiting for death, because, this person refuses to live their life and is holding him back from living his own. depression falls in right form the beginning when he says "thoughts are haunting me" "Don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong This spot in hell's where I belong" He's saying these thoughts are flooding his mind & that he is basicly worthless and deserves this miserable existance when he says> "Outside shell is strong - confident But slowly eats away. Like a man plagued with disease, I try to fight. Through my pores it seems to seep" he's saying that he's trying to hide his depression but it's welling up inside of him and he can't hide it anymore. When he says>"Stuck alone inside your head, better off dead" he's talking about the depression holding him captive inside his own mind.
keep in mind this is my annalyssis of what the song means
@mo money hello, how is it going? Been 17 years.
ok id like to say for the record this is my favorite song on earth....and to me it means that he has given up on all hope...and doesnt see that its fit to press onwards b/c he's learned that his spot has been earned in hell and for some reason he belongs there.....he has messed up no need to try and fix it...maybe he did something unforgiveable...murder...who knows but definately the best song in the world to me! long live a7x!!!
I think we have the meaning of the song down, but I wanted to point something out. I think the solo is sort of a "hidden verse" in the song, like a part of the story that was left out. The tone of the solo to me feels hopeful, like the guy is trying to change and trying to live his life to the fullest. But then right after the solo, it goes back to the same old chorus and eventually the ending of the song where you find out the guy never changes and dies living a crappy life. If you add in my interpretation of the solo, it makes the song even more depressing when you realize the guy was doomed whether he tried to change or not.
This song's solo is also one of my favorites for that one reason. Sure there are far more skillful solos out there, but none seem to hold as much meaning as this one, even if its a depressing meaning.
@OmegaHunter24 agree
my take on it is him trying his best to accomplish something but never getting any recognition and whenever he messes up just once, nobody let's him forget it (don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong) and he is just worn down to the point that he feels like he deserves to be treated that way (this spot in hell's where i belong) he just masks his feelings and pretends to have nothing wrong but he's broken inside (outside shell is strong, confident, but slowly eats away) he tries to forgive them but he just can't because they were horrible to him and the damage is already done (i'll bleed forever) he just feels like life isn't worth trying anymore (you're content with doing nothing) and he ends up turning on them becuase he wanted more out of life then to be wrongfully treated (but in my life i wanted more, i needed more, i taste more)
thats the way i took it and considering the title being CLAIRVOYANT disease he probably saw everything coming and his depression started before anything actually happened to him
I've also been thinking and after "I won't see you tonight parts 1 and 2" possibly being a suicide note and the reaction to them, this could possibly be a follow-up to those two songs. The first part being him reading the suicide note and the second part being his reaction after he realizes what happened and he's mad blaming the person, but this song could be everything starting to settle down after the death (dust begins to fall to the ground) and there is still some hostility in the air being it from a suicide (the air is cold and thin.) then he starts to blame himself for not seeing it coming (the title clairvoyant disease, clairvoyance being the ability to sense something physical happening in the future, and the line "thoughts are haunting me as i look around") he's always going to miss his friend (i'll bleed forever) now he's blaming himself for everything he did wrong even though he was always a good friend (don't acknowledge right, just dwell on wrong) he keeps blaming himself and gives up on hope (this spot in hell's where i belong) he's so confused and thought he knew his friend better than that (i've come so far, it's been so long, don't know why it started or where it came from) he tries to be strong but can't and keeps blaming himself (Outside shell is strong, confident, But slowly eats away, Like a man plagued with disease, I try to fight Through my pores it seems to seep) and he just gives up on everything and just does nothing with the rest of his life (And you sit there and do nothing, You're content with doing nothing) i agree with omegahunter24 with the thought that the solo is a feeling of hope, then people keep blaming him telling him it's his fault and that he should be the one that's dead (Better off dead) and everything finally gets to him and he takes his life (The phone would ring in the empty house, No one's around, But in my life, I wanted more,I needed more, I taste more)
This song just really got me thinking and i was listening to the album and the thought came to me that it is possibly a follow up to parts 1 and 2 of "I won't see you tonight"
i hope i helped anybody who needed it
way over my head...
maybe about getting the most out of life and putting the bad things behind you and just moving on
i loove this song! it rocks! a7x is the coolest
To me this is a song about a deeply depressed person. It seems that something very tragic or something that meant alot to this person was taken away (possibly a death). I also think that the song could possibly be about a person who has lost all faith in everything and is "content with doing nothing". But with the closing line "But in my life, I wanted more, I needed more ,I taste more." leads me to believe that there is maybe a little ray of hope somewhere along the way. By the way A7X is awesome !!
yeah definitely a song describing how he feels but more directed at somebody. because he's in hell in this relationship because he feels he has to fix everything because the other person in the relationship is constantly being negative
I love this song for some reason..It just has this affect on me that is overwealming.