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.
All the boys voices cracking
Oh, the moaning half-tones
Come summertime, we're all the same age here
All the tension and the terror
Thin limbed gorgeous green eyes smiling
And I'm going straight to Hell
All the possibility and promise just
Weighs on me so heavily
And I
Try, but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist, and
I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with
A certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need just keep me guessing, please
Darling, all of these awkward
Jump start, stalling conversations
Mean much more to me than anything
And it comes down to me and you, and
Whether we're supposed to or not, we still will
We're so much better off, than them
All the possibility and promise just
Weighs on me so heavily
And I
Try, but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist, and
I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with
A certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need just keep me guessing, please
A look, a laugh, a smile
A second passes by and I regret it
Words just aren't right
Sometimes I just can't explain
All the ways you devastate me
Always on my mind
I
Try, but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist, and
I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with
A certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need just keep me guessing
I try, but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist, and
I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with
A certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need just keep me guessing, please
Oh, the moaning half-tones
Come summertime, we're all the same age here
All the tension and the terror
Thin limbed gorgeous green eyes smiling
And I'm going straight to Hell
All the possibility and promise just
Weighs on me so heavily
And I
Try, but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist, and
I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with
A certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need just keep me guessing, please
Darling, all of these awkward
Jump start, stalling conversations
Mean much more to me than anything
And it comes down to me and you, and
Whether we're supposed to or not, we still will
We're so much better off, than them
All the possibility and promise just
Weighs on me so heavily
And I
Try, but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist, and
I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with
A certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need just keep me guessing, please
A look, a laugh, a smile
A second passes by and I regret it
Words just aren't right
Sometimes I just can't explain
All the ways you devastate me
Always on my mind
I
Try, but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist, and
I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with
A certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need just keep me guessing
I try, but I'm not convincing
Your lips, they pout and twist, and
I die trying just to keep myself from kissing you
You take in everything with
A certainty I envy
It's somehow all I need just keep me guessing, please
Lyrics submitted by almostmanda
The Tension and the Terror Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
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.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
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.
no i absolutely don't see it as a rape... goodness. i see it as a guy who is terribly in love with a girl who really doesn't know. he's nervous and it's the summer time and he's saying "we're all the same age here" so no one has to act more mature than anyone else. her lips pout and twist and he dies trying to keep himself from kissing her. that's beautiful!! maybe she has a boyfriend and he can't do anything. i would imagine that makes sense as to why he would be going straight to hell.. maybe the boyfriend is even a friend of his. but at the same time i think they're very good friends, only he has deeper more elaborate feelings for her than he has told.
YESS! FiRST ONE TO COMMENT!! This song Rocks my socks. beautiful, all i can say. That and this band rocks.
i think this song is about a guy and a gal who broke up and it's for the best, and they know that, but there is still this part of both of them that wants things to be back to normal...
im going through that right now. my gf and i just broke up, and it really is the best decision, we know that...but when we hang out...it's so obvious that both of us want eachother, we just know it cant work...
...damn that sucks... good song, though... i fucking love this band... it's so obvious that john was the principle song-writer in taking back sunday..cause when you listen to straylight, you can just tell..it's like..a more mature, laid-back, taking back sunday + piano... i love it. ...im really kinda dreading hearing tbs' new stuff this summer at warped, just cause i think it'll suck without john
i love this song. "a look, a laugh, a smile, a second passes by and i regret it"
do you ever wonder like... maybe it's about statutory rape or something.
"we're all the same age here..." "and i'm going straight to hell" "die trying just to keep myself from kissing you"
and i think "rocket_summer" got mixed up with "it's for the best..." because i don't know. haha.
anyway, i'm probably wrong, but it was just an idea i got when i was listening to the song. i'm not saying john is a rapist.. i'm saying maybe he was 18 and she was like.. 15 or something. and since that's illegal in most states, yes.
yea, its gotta be about being with someone you know you cant be. you both want it, but you know its just a bad idea, people are gonna get hurt, especcially the couple. you know its for the best, but you wish it wasnt.
i totally relate to that, awesome song, awesome band.
I think this could actually be about cheating on someone. "it comes down to me and you and whether we're supposed to or not, we still will" Which implies that he and this girl did mess around. So i think that line negates the good friends theory of them wanting to get together but how it would ruin things. "A second passes by and I regret it" Could be him regretting that he cheated on his girlfriend. Also the fact that he cheated would be legit reasoning for the "I'm going straight to hell." line.
That is how i see it. YOu don't have to agree. so yeah.
holy crap this is exactly how i feel bout my best friend right now. i told her how i felt a few months ago. and there has been a lot of tension bt us. one minute things are great the next theres terror. and all the "possibilites and promise" weigh on me bc i know we could have something if wed just let ourselves. the summer time here refers to the fact that in the summer new things happen one should free themelves and try things they might not ordinarily. and about tkaing everything with a certainty. she does just that. she seems like she very much has her life figured out and knows her purpose. i can only envy that. and about devastating. this girl does that to me. and i cant explain to her how she does. and about the keeping me guessing. like i hate it while it happens but then its something i want when its not there god ive blown away she needs to hear this song. or maybe my band can cover it and ill sing. i normally play back up singer/rhytm guitar like john did in TBS. wow great grrrreat tune. gotta love john's sister singing backup
it sounds like an elementary-school relationship where the kids are still too afraid to let the other know that they like them, I remember those days..., anyway, good song