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.
This is your history
You made what you will be
Facts are of no concern
They upset your story
The past is what we learn
It upholds your glory
Revisionist history
I want glaciers to scrape
I want to level this place
Everyone in it can go
The truth will tear this ground
Slowly melted down
Revisionist history
What you're taught
Free to forget
You're supposed to know
Learn on your own
It's exposed, end Moraine
Funnel down, see with your own eyes
Simpe talk, end Moraine
Simple thought
And total loyalty
They'll build armies
In excuse for exploerers
Know with your own eyes
Feel with your own hands
You made what you will be
Facts are of no concern
They upset your story
The past is what we learn
It upholds your glory
Revisionist history
I want glaciers to scrape
I want to level this place
Everyone in it can go
The truth will tear this ground
Slowly melted down
Revisionist history
What you're taught
Free to forget
You're supposed to know
Learn on your own
It's exposed, end Moraine
Funnel down, see with your own eyes
Simpe talk, end Moraine
Simple thought
And total loyalty
They'll build armies
In excuse for exploerers
Know with your own eyes
Feel with your own hands
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”
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
This song is awsome, its so aggessive. I think this is about someone who lied or made a mistake. "this is your history you made what you will be" - the person cant change the past and now has to deal with. Facts oare of no concern they upset your story" - hearing the facts about what happened wont help. One thing that confuses me is the talk on the Moraine and Glaciers. i know moraine is something to do with land and canyons or something. but anyways this song is awsome, my favorite off porcelain.
an end moraine is the end of the glacier tongue! (where rocks & stones are pushed forward and glacier water comes out!) maybe a metaphor for the change in thinking & relation to your surroundings! (the glacier ends, changes to glacier water) first song of porcelain i heard, got it on a magazine cd!
i think is quote summarizes this song, "A man’s memory may almost become the art of continually varying and misrepresenting his past, according to his interest in the present." — George Santayana, he also said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it".
napoleon solo there has a good point...the final words in the lyrics kinda gave me an idea like that, its kinda the way i philosophize. try not to trivialize..be as certain as you can in all that you say in this song he seems to be begging for a clean slate
napoleon solo there has a good point...the final words in the lyrics kinda gave me an idea like that, its kinda the way i philosophize. try not to trivialize..be as certain as you can in all that you say in this song he seems to be begging for a clean slate
The song is another in the continuous Jim Ward efforts to get people to realize that this current administration is nothing but a bunch of liars, criminals and scum.
In this case, he's saying that just because members of this administration say it and the press echoes it, does not mean that it's true. This holds for WMDs, Saddam's ties to 9/11 and a myriad of other things as well.
I think it is primarily focused on a relationship and its breakdown, how we re-invent our past in the sense of needing to build these armies, to make sense of our present. But the reality is as indelible as this giant iceberg and the marks it leaves on the rocks are proof of this. The primary focus of this song therefore is the plea to love, particularly when it is hardest.
HISTORYISALIE