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.
Spread apart on a hospital bed
With a purple heart pinned on it
A fossil that's not quite dead
But I'm invincible here,
Mildly invisibly clear,
From warming up to an old friend.
Just a connoisseur of dirt,
Celebrating my worth,
I can count on one hand, useless or not,
There's a number of useless things,
My useless hands have caught,
Fix me medicine,
Fix me cast,
Fix me strong so I can last.
And it got so bright it died,
And blew up all over the inside,
Of my leather white eyes,
And just spread all over
It got so bright it died,
And blew up all over the inside,
Of my leather white eyes,
It just spread all over,
Just spread all over (spread all over)
Planned out like a chemistry set,
A dog fight with no means to eject,
They never taught us about that.
I bought the world as a gift,
Now it's too heavy to lift,
And that's exactly how I'll leave it.
This elevation is sick,
We can go much higher or lower
Where anything is better than here
I remember all the useless things,
My useless hands have caught.
Fix me mom,
Fix me fast,
Wrap me up so I can last.
And it got so bright it died,
And blew up all over the inside,
Of my leather white eyes,
It just spread all over.
With a purple heart pinned on it
A fossil that's not quite dead
But I'm invincible here,
Mildly invisibly clear,
From warming up to an old friend.
Just a connoisseur of dirt,
Celebrating my worth,
I can count on one hand, useless or not,
There's a number of useless things,
My useless hands have caught,
Fix me medicine,
Fix me cast,
Fix me strong so I can last.
And it got so bright it died,
And blew up all over the inside,
Of my leather white eyes,
And just spread all over
It got so bright it died,
And blew up all over the inside,
Of my leather white eyes,
It just spread all over,
Just spread all over (spread all over)
Planned out like a chemistry set,
A dog fight with no means to eject,
They never taught us about that.
I bought the world as a gift,
Now it's too heavy to lift,
And that's exactly how I'll leave it.
This elevation is sick,
We can go much higher or lower
Where anything is better than here
I remember all the useless things,
My useless hands have caught.
Fix me mom,
Fix me fast,
Wrap me up so I can last.
And it got so bright it died,
And blew up all over the inside,
Of my leather white eyes,
It just spread all over.
Lyrics submitted by Girlsdontgocrazy, edited by speakhands
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I might be completely wrong, but to me this song sounds like it´s told by someone who´s come back from the war and is hurt and traumatized. In a hospital, with honor medals (purple heart pinned on) and all these horrible memories (and it got so bright it died and blew up all over the inside - maybe a bomb going off?) and wishing for healing. I don´t know, maybe I´m way off, but that´s what I got from it.