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.
Jen,
Don't be scared, Don't be shy
We used to do this all the time
you know it Jen
Jen,
We could be happy now
So jet across the coast and country, Jen
And sometimes Jennifer,
You think for too long then your chance is gone
The choice we're meant to make
Is one we'll never take
All you have to do is say
Jen,
Don't be scared, no don't be shy
We used to do this all the time
Ya-Ya-You know it Jen
It's you and me, what could that mean?
You can't pretend we're only friends then walk away
Jen,
I think your trying just a little hard
Acting like something that you're not
Jen
I wanna make you feel the way you should
You have to let things go to keep them close
What we do today
Already has a name
Is anything but a mistake
Jen,
Don't be scared, no don't be shy
We used to do this all the time
Ya-Ya-You know it Jen
It's you and me, what could that mean?
You can't pretend we're only friends then walk away.
ooooohh
oooohhh
oooooo
No one's looking now
Take a chance, come on
Could do anything you want
Jen
Put your arms around someone soft
Take it as it comes, trust your heart
Trust me
You know it, Jen
Put your arms around someone soft
Take it as it comes, trust your heart
Trust me
You know it, Jen
Put your arms around someone soft
Take it as it comes, trust your heart
Trust me
Trust your heart, trust me
You know it, Jen
Don't be scared, Don't be shy
We used to do this all the time
you know it Jen
Jen,
We could be happy now
So jet across the coast and country, Jen
And sometimes Jennifer,
You think for too long then your chance is gone
The choice we're meant to make
Is one we'll never take
All you have to do is say
Jen,
Don't be scared, no don't be shy
We used to do this all the time
Ya-Ya-You know it Jen
It's you and me, what could that mean?
You can't pretend we're only friends then walk away
Jen,
I think your trying just a little hard
Acting like something that you're not
Jen
I wanna make you feel the way you should
You have to let things go to keep them close
What we do today
Already has a name
Is anything but a mistake
Jen,
Don't be scared, no don't be shy
We used to do this all the time
Ya-Ya-You know it Jen
It's you and me, what could that mean?
You can't pretend we're only friends then walk away.
ooooohh
oooohhh
oooooo
No one's looking now
Take a chance, come on
Could do anything you want
Jen
Put your arms around someone soft
Take it as it comes, trust your heart
Trust me
You know it, Jen
Put your arms around someone soft
Take it as it comes, trust your heart
Trust me
You know it, Jen
Put your arms around someone soft
Take it as it comes, trust your heart
Trust me
Trust your heart, trust me
You know it, Jen
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
i think this song is great. it's got a catchy melody, a poppy sound, sure, but that doesn't make it bad, just different. you can't expect a band to play the same style over and over and over and over again, because they'll get sick of it and you will too, and then you'll be condemning jew for being too repetitive instead of "poppy." so to the above dinks who claim this song is "crap" or "gay" or "pish" or "sucks butt," then you've gotta shut the fuck up and think before you speak. until you've been in a band that's made as much music as they have, and until you've been in a band that's lasted as long as they have, then you've got no room to talk. especially given that i see one guy--baitingballs or whatever your name is--constantly throwing shit without anything specific to say. the only complaint i keep hearing is that it's poppy, so, if you don't like it then you probably don't like pop music. news flash! there are a lot of people who do like pop music! if it isn't for you, then don't listen to it! you can't bash an entire genre as stupid or lame simply because it doesn't appeal to you. i can't stand heavy metal, nor can i understand its appeal, but i'm not gonna bash a heavy metal band for being terrible musicians. indeed, a lot of them are probably a lot better than i am. jew, frankly, has popularized its style a lot since clarity. the direction it's headed is a mix of pop and rock. yes, POP and rock. if you dont like it, then listen to someone else, or their old stuff.
this song is about an ex girlfriend, and how the guy is saying, "you shouldn't have broken up with me, let's try again." specifically, i think it's all a big reference to fooling around with an ex girlfriend, saying, "we used to do this all the time, you know it jen." other things in the song--calling her "jennifer," "you tried just a little hard acting like something that you're not," etc--suggest that neither of them have moved on, and that they don't really feel like they've broken up entirely. obviously, "you have to let things go to keep them close" is another reference to breaking up, and how they should get back together.