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.
Jack and Diane painted a picture of my life and my dreams
Suddenly this crazy world made more sense to me
Well, I heard it today and I couldn't help but sing along
'Cause every time I hear that song
And I go back to a two toned short bed Chevy
Drivin' my first love out to the levee
Livin' life with no sense of time
And I go back to the feel of a fifty yard line
A blanket, a girl, some raspberry wine
Wishin' time would stop right in its tracks
Every time I hear that song
I'll go back, I'll go back
And I used to rock all night long to, Keep On Rockin' Me Baby
At Frat parties, college bars, just tryin' to impress the ladies
Well, I heard it today and I couldn't help but sing along
'Cause every time I hear that song
And I go back to the smell of an old gym floor
And the taste of salt on a Carolina shore
After graduation and drinkin' goodbye to friends
And I go back to watchin' summer fade to fall
Growin' up too fast and I do recall
Wishin' time would stop right in its tracks
Every time I hear that song
I go back, I go back
We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives
That takes us to another place and time
So I go back to a pew, preacher, and a choir
Singin' 'bout God, and brimstone, and fire
And the smell of Sunday chicken after church
And I go back to the loss of a real good friend
And the sixteen summers I shared with him
Now, Only The Good Die Young stops me in my tracks
Every time I hear that song
I'll go back, I'll go back
To the feel of a fifty yard line
A blanket, a girl, some raspberry wine
I go back (I go back)
To watchin' summer fade into fall
Growin' up too fast and I do recall
I go back (I go back)
To the loss of a real good friend
And the sixteen summers I shared with him
I go back
I go back, I go back, ooh
Suddenly this crazy world made more sense to me
Well, I heard it today and I couldn't help but sing along
'Cause every time I hear that song
And I go back to a two toned short bed Chevy
Drivin' my first love out to the levee
Livin' life with no sense of time
And I go back to the feel of a fifty yard line
A blanket, a girl, some raspberry wine
Wishin' time would stop right in its tracks
Every time I hear that song
I'll go back, I'll go back
And I used to rock all night long to, Keep On Rockin' Me Baby
At Frat parties, college bars, just tryin' to impress the ladies
Well, I heard it today and I couldn't help but sing along
'Cause every time I hear that song
And I go back to the smell of an old gym floor
And the taste of salt on a Carolina shore
After graduation and drinkin' goodbye to friends
And I go back to watchin' summer fade to fall
Growin' up too fast and I do recall
Wishin' time would stop right in its tracks
Every time I hear that song
I go back, I go back
We all have a song that somehow stamped our lives
That takes us to another place and time
So I go back to a pew, preacher, and a choir
Singin' 'bout God, and brimstone, and fire
And the smell of Sunday chicken after church
And I go back to the loss of a real good friend
And the sixteen summers I shared with him
Now, Only The Good Die Young stops me in my tracks
Every time I hear that song
I'll go back, I'll go back
To the feel of a fifty yard line
A blanket, a girl, some raspberry wine
I go back (I go back)
To watchin' summer fade into fall
Growin' up too fast and I do recall
I go back (I go back)
To the loss of a real good friend
And the sixteen summers I shared with him
I go back
I go back, I go back, ooh
Lyrics submitted by LiveUrLife, edited by FootrotFlats97
I Go Back Lyrics as written by Kenneth A. Chesney
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
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How music can take you back in time - it is tied together with painful and happy memories and that's what makes it so powerful. This can both be the music of the time that memory was reality, or the lyrics of a song that are so like what you yourself went through...
This song makes me thing of my last year of high school and evertying else that goes with it. high school isnt your whole life, but its a big part that determines who you are, and should be embraced. this song also kinda makes me cry, thinking of all the crap me and the people i love have been through in high school.
This song reminds me of all the good times I have with friends and how no matter where we go in life...those memories will always be a part of us.
I LOVE THIS SONG OMG-BEST SONG EVER. My favourite line is deffinatly "I used to rock all night long to keep on rocking me baby" I love how he says it haha LOVE IT
this sogn reminds me of good ole times eating cjicken and cake w/ bubba....he was gr8 to me both in bed and person...but now since i killed him i'll sleep better
First time I got the CD I never really listened to this song that much for some reason. But lately I've just been loving it and realizing how well it fits me.
"I go back to the smell of an old gym floor The taste of salt on the Carolina shore After graduation and drinkin goodbye to friends And I go back to watchin summer fade to fall Growin up too fast and I do recall Wishin time would stop right in its tracks "
"And I go back to the loss of a real good friend And the sixteen summers I shared with him Now "Only The Good Die Young" stops me in my tracks Everytime I hear that song, I go back.... "
"I go back to a two toned short bed Chevy Drivin my first love out to the levvy Livin life with no sense of time And I go back to the feel of a fifty yard line A blanket, a girl, some raspberry wine Wishin time would stop right in its tracks"
reminds me so much of my high school life, sitting there at football games with my now fiancee wrapped in a blanket even though he was out of school, and although I know he is singing about church choir, that line kinda gets me a bit too, as choir was one of the main parts of my high school life. Although I certinally have funny memeories of sitting there at church with one of my best friends having writen conversations on bulitians, silently giggling over some guy or class or the pastors ear hair LOL. I still miss high school like crazy and cry almost every time I hear this song, especially with the music video, it really makes me think of the times I spent with friends back in HS (class of 2003 baby!). I also love how he incorporates how songs take you back, I've always been that way with songs, but music has always been my life.
Not only does this song namecheck a whole bunch of classic rock songs, it makes reference to -- holy crap -- being in college. This is a huge demographic shift in country music.
I'm still in highschool, so this song makes me not take things for granted and try to live life to fullest, but yet it still makes me think of my old friends before I moved, I love this song....
This song is wonderful. I never get tired of it. Like others have said, I think the song is talking about reliving old memories through music and how songs just take you back.