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.
You didn't stop to look 'round
You were gone before I hit the ground
You went on your way
And no prayer was said
How you left me for dead
You didn't cover my face
I didn't merit a communal grave
You set me aside
And no tears were shed
How you left me for dead
And I say, I won't stop, no, 'til Hell is your home
There's nowhere to hide, no, nowhere
You'll feel the cold of my gun at your head
How you left me for dead
And it's not like you stayed by my side
Or you called me a priest
You searched through my mouth
To check for gold teeth
You were pawning my shoes as I bled
You left me for, left me for, left me for dead
You kept on takin' your time
Until it was certain I couldn't survive
Judas remained, you turned and fled
How you left me for dead
And it didn't trouble your mind
It did not disturb you to see me decline
You turned out my lights, you put me to bed
How you left me for dead
And I say, I won't rest my head until Hell is your home
You think that you're safe, but oh no
You'll feel the cold of my gun hit your head
How you left me for dead
And you didn't stay close to me, didn't stay by my side
I was choking in blood as the laugh filled your eyes
You were a bum for each word that you said
'Cause you left me for, left me for, left me for dead
But I don't wanna search no more
There's nowhere to hide
So, why don't you come quietly, my love
I wanted to say
To say that you sure proved the death of me
'Cause now I've reached a dead end
And I can't go back
But if I'm going down, you'll come with me
'Cause you didn't stop to look 'round
You were gone before I hit the ground
You went on your way and no prayer was said
How you left me for dead
'Cause you didn't cover my face
I didn't merit a communal grave
You set me aside and no tears were shed
How you left me for dead
Oh, and we'll move shoulder to shore the light
Whispered in grey by the side of the light
I know each word that was said
How you left me for dead
Oh, assemble the people inside of the light
Let us go wrong on the side of the light
I know each word that was said
How you left me for dead, oh
You were gone before I hit the ground
You went on your way
And no prayer was said
How you left me for dead
You didn't cover my face
I didn't merit a communal grave
You set me aside
And no tears were shed
How you left me for dead
And I say, I won't stop, no, 'til Hell is your home
There's nowhere to hide, no, nowhere
You'll feel the cold of my gun at your head
How you left me for dead
And it's not like you stayed by my side
Or you called me a priest
You searched through my mouth
To check for gold teeth
You were pawning my shoes as I bled
You left me for, left me for, left me for dead
You kept on takin' your time
Until it was certain I couldn't survive
Judas remained, you turned and fled
How you left me for dead
And it didn't trouble your mind
It did not disturb you to see me decline
You turned out my lights, you put me to bed
How you left me for dead
And I say, I won't rest my head until Hell is your home
You think that you're safe, but oh no
You'll feel the cold of my gun hit your head
How you left me for dead
And you didn't stay close to me, didn't stay by my side
I was choking in blood as the laugh filled your eyes
You were a bum for each word that you said
'Cause you left me for, left me for, left me for dead
But I don't wanna search no more
There's nowhere to hide
So, why don't you come quietly, my love
I wanted to say
To say that you sure proved the death of me
'Cause now I've reached a dead end
And I can't go back
But if I'm going down, you'll come with me
'Cause you didn't stop to look 'round
You were gone before I hit the ground
You went on your way and no prayer was said
How you left me for dead
'Cause you didn't cover my face
I didn't merit a communal grave
You set me aside and no tears were shed
How you left me for dead
Oh, and we'll move shoulder to shore the light
Whispered in grey by the side of the light
I know each word that was said
How you left me for dead
Oh, assemble the people inside of the light
Let us go wrong on the side of the light
I know each word that was said
How you left me for dead, oh
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
"I don’t want to search no more there's nowhere to hide so why don’t you come quietly, my love? I wanted to say that you sure proved the death of me cause now I’ve reached a dead-end and I can’t go back but if I’m going down, you’ll come with me,"
to me, this is about someone who always swore they'd be understanding and there for him who, in his time of need, abandoned him at the slightest problem. but in the part quoted above, it's obvious he doesn't really hate the person for it. he's just feeling bitter and defeated...and figures if things are plowing into a brick wall, he wants her coming along for the ride.
I love this song.