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.
It's times like these when a neck looks for a knife
A wrist for a razor, a heart is longing for bullets
Tension is high under sea and over sky
Pressure drop, people are acting foolish
Ooh - but it's easy to see!
Ooh - we could dance and be free.
Ooh - to that 2-tone beat!
But it looks like it's gone...
Gangsters and clowns with a stereotyped sound
It's coming like a ghosst town - someone always knew it
Hatred and shame, a racialist game
Cycles of blame - someone sang me through it.
Who? well it's easy to see.
Ooh - we could dance to be free.
Ooh - to that 2-tone beat!
But it looks like it's gone...
I asked Jerry, he told Terry, Terry sang a song just for me,
Lynvall gave a message to me,
Rhoda screamed and then she asked me,
"Where have all the rude boys gone?"
A wrist for a razor, a heart is longing for bullets
Tension is high under sea and over sky
Pressure drop, people are acting foolish
Ooh - but it's easy to see!
Ooh - we could dance and be free.
Ooh - to that 2-tone beat!
But it looks like it's gone...
Gangsters and clowns with a stereotyped sound
It's coming like a ghosst town - someone always knew it
Hatred and shame, a racialist game
Cycles of blame - someone sang me through it.
Who? well it's easy to see.
Ooh - we could dance to be free.
Ooh - to that 2-tone beat!
But it looks like it's gone...
I asked Jerry, he told Terry, Terry sang a song just for me,
Lynvall gave a message to me,
Rhoda screamed and then she asked me,
"Where have all the rude boys gone?"
Lyrics submitted by knifefight
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Light Up The Sky
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Gentle Hour
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
This song is a metaphor for the loss of good popular music, but it's particularly about The Specials, the groundbreaking multi-racial ska group from the late 70's/early 80's. Many references to their songs, such as, "Gangsters", "Stereotype", and "Ghost Town".
Also mentions of the label that The Specials were on, 2-Tone; and Rhoda Dakar (The Bodysnatchers) who wasn't an official member of The Specials but became increasingly involved with the band after the split of The Bodysnatchers.
Rude Boys are nicknames for people involved with ska, dating back to Bob Marely (some refer to him as the original rude boy). Go to a ska show nowadays and if you see someone dressed in two-tone (black 3 piece with a white shirt and a black tie) skanking, they're probably a rude boy.
They could just be a poseur, but it's very rare to see one nowadays, but they're out there.
why has no one posted on this amazing orgasmic song yet. Ted leo is fucking amazing, his lyrics are pure gold, rich with meaning. anyways, this song is about the departure of good music and unoriginal music being popular. This is apparnent in "gangsters and clowns with stereotype sound" gangsters =rappers clowns + heavy metal ala insane clown posse
That's awesome, I didn't even pick up on any of that. Thanks, guys. TL/RX rules. I wish they had some more Hearts of Oak lyrics on here.
There is a lot more going on in the song. If anyone remembers back to the 90's ska music was getting pretty popular in the United States. This is what was often referred to as the Third Wave of ska. Ska originated in Jamaica in the 60's and experienced a brief revival in England in the late 70's. This revival was also called 2 Tone, after the label responsible for the new found interest in the genre.
This song is full of ska references, but in general its about the disappearance of ska music and what the music meant to Mr. Leo. Ska has always been about unity, and it was upbeat and positive and uplifting and you could dance to it.
I'm probably missing a lot of the references but in the first verse Pressure Drop is the name of a Toots and Maytals song. Gangsters is the name of a song by the Specials, Clowns I think is referencing the English Beat cover of Tears of a Clown, Sterotyped Sound, stereotype is another song by the Specials so is Ghost Town. In the Chorus, Jerry is Jerry Dammers, organ player for the Specials and founder of 2 Tone records. Terry Hall and Lynval Golding of the Specials are also mentioned. As is Rhoda Dakar, who isn't a Special but recorded a song with them in 1982 called The Boiler.
Ted Leo is the man.
Maybe I'm way off on this. But if you've seen the video (from the CD) at the very end is a painting/drawing of a man's face that says '52 & '02 at the top and "Roots Rock Rebel" at the bottom. My theory is that it's a picture of Joe Strummer who was born in 1952 and passed away in 2002. Also, he was known for his passion of Jamaican music which ties in with the ska and Rude Boys. That's just my two cents, not really about the song necessarily, but I wanted to see if anyone else shares my belief.
I dont get when he says where have all the rude boys gone. What is he referring to with rude boys?
Yes, that would be a picture of Joe Strummer; "Roots Rock Rebel" is a line from "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" by The Clash, the first song to mix Jamaican reggae/ska with punk rock. But yes, it seems everyone's worked out most of the references in here.