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Restless Lyrics
The autumn leaves burning red
With the last light of the sun
The day is almost over
The day is almost done
Perhaps tonight I'll sit and watch
The stars come out
Their liquid hazy light
Holding time still
Bringing old memories to life
But I'm restless, restless, so restless
Time seemed to move slower then
My father worked so hard
I hardly knew his hand
My mother so much younger
Tried to make me understand
That was before the bad times
The house on the hill
That's when I wished
For just a little longer
Time could stand still
And I was restless, so restless
Too damn restless, restless
Life has tested my faith
I've wandered from the path
But things I'm ashamed of
No one's perfect that's a fact
Sometimes I've found myself
Walking in the footsteps of the beast
I've done things that are not like me in the least
They have been even in bad times
Fragments of eden things were gold
Glimpsed never forgotten even though
I'm still restless, I'm still restless
So damn restless, so damn restless
So damn restless, so damn restless
Restless, restless, restless
Restless, I'm restless, too damn restless
I'm so restless
With the last light of the sun
The day is almost over
The day is almost done
Perhaps tonight I'll sit and watch
The stars come out
Their liquid hazy light
Holding time still
Bringing old memories to life
But I'm restless, restless, so restless
My father worked so hard
I hardly knew his hand
My mother so much younger
Tried to make me understand
That was before the bad times
The house on the hill
That's when I wished
For just a little longer
Time could stand still
And I was restless, so restless
Too damn restless, restless
I've wandered from the path
But things I'm ashamed of
No one's perfect that's a fact
Sometimes I've found myself
Walking in the footsteps of the beast
I've done things that are not like me in the least
They have been even in bad times
Fragments of eden things were gold
Glimpsed never forgotten even though
I'm still restless, I'm still restless
So damn restless, so damn restless
So damn restless, so damn restless
Restless, restless, restless
Restless, I'm restless, too damn restless
I'm so restless
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“Restless” — an overlooked gem on a criminally underrated album
I’ve seen a lot of people dismiss The Damned’s 1986 album Anything over the years — critics calling it “meandering” or “overproduced,” fans saying it’s a step down from Phantasmagoria. I couldn’t disagree more. To me, Anything is one of the band’s most atmospheric, cinematic, and emotionally resonant works. And “Restless” is a perfect example of why.
From the first image — “The autumn leaves burning red / With the last light of the sun” — you’re dropped into a world that feels like the closing shot of a movie. Dave Vanian’s voice isn’t just singing here; he’s narrating a life, moving between nostalgic childhood memories, confessions of past mistakes, and the aching truth that time never stands still. The repeating refrain of “restless” becomes almost hypnotic, like the word itself is caught in a loop the narrator can’t escape.
Musically, it’s pure Anything — shimmering layers of guitar and keys, cavernous reverb, a steady rhythm section that never hurries but never drags. It’s a track that rewards deep listening, especially late at night when you can sink into its atmosphere.
This song — and this album — deserve better than to be written off as “mid-80s gloss.” It’s a record of its time in the best way: rich, textured, and unafraid to step beyond punk into something more cinematic and timeless.
What do you hear in “Restless”? If you’ve ever been pulled back to a moment in your past that you can’t quite let go of, I think you’ll find yourself here.