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 ourselves thin and wipe away the sweat of working though a thick skin
The easiest way to dodge is to ignore
Spit back and wait for more
Turn the pages of history yellowed, underlined and torn
No chance of tracing exactly how these terms were born
Rewrite plan of attack
Find a number with a bullet
Fellate the right minds so a suit won't pull it
Label the lie
Label the lie
Though it may be better than sitting above your higher horse
running backwards through ten years of the same course
I'm done asking why we look ahead when we face the wrong way
Better to swollow my intentions and watch the past slip away
The easiest way to dodge is to ignore
Spit back and wait for more
Turn the pages of history yellowed, underlined and torn
No chance of tracing exactly how these terms were born
Rewrite plan of attack
Find a number with a bullet
Fellate the right minds so a suit won't pull it
Label the lie
Label the lie
Though it may be better than sitting above your higher horse
running backwards through ten years of the same course
I'm done asking why we look ahead when we face the wrong way
Better to swollow my intentions and watch the past slip away
Lyrics submitted by PhantasmP
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
i think its about things being predertmined, for instance, everything you do is already determined, and no matter what you do youre just doing what you were already expected to do. like in that tom cruise movie about "pre-crime" and nuns = precogs. but thats just an opinion of mine.. i liked a few other people opinions. to be honest i find a couple of others to be more understandable than my own... but its not what a song means to others, its about what it means to you