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.
Did I wait too long
It made me somber, wondering onward
Stronger, on and on
But I'm still awake
You haven't killed me
I am willing to persevere another day
[Chorus: 2X]
You can run away
But you can't escape
All these wicked games
[Repeat: 2X]
You're impossible like ignoring the habit of breathing
I'm expendable to you completed then superseded
I insist it ends
My circumstances, burned my chances
The answers want it that way
But I'm still awake
I have opponents
I've got moments to own that know my way
[Chorus: 2X]
But it still exists and it's still there
You can't escape these wicked games
Go through your pain and struggle but maintain the knowing
Of what'll come to you showing, it's all right
There's plenty around to drown you
Pronounciate found to all that surround you
Give them all flight
Running away is a stain
In the mud a brain stem with a plug
When you get there you don't know why you came
You end up going where your knowing
Is showing in different form
But inside you feel the same
There's always someone else to blame
Now this was a long, long time ago
When music was loved on the radio
Before my birth, I'm not that old
Bands didn't have to pay the radio to be sold
I'm told, it was quite a day
To have a station have a dj
Not have a play list of what he'd play
Or a PD wanting it their way
Just a love for tunes and comparison
Now we just compare embarrassment
It's such a scare this carelessness
It's not awareness, it's harassment
Cherish this choice that we have
Not to listen if it gets bad
Not to listen if it's add
Don't have to bitch and kick and get sad
That it takes ten days of supervision
For you to find a good song to listen
I got mine new to tradition
Let's just break this new tradition
Play the game, play the game
Place your blame on a taste of fame
Play the same way, a faceless name would play the game
Play the game
It made me somber, wondering onward
Stronger, on and on
But I'm still awake
You haven't killed me
I am willing to persevere another day
[Chorus: 2X]
You can run away
But you can't escape
All these wicked games
[Repeat: 2X]
You're impossible like ignoring the habit of breathing
I'm expendable to you completed then superseded
I insist it ends
My circumstances, burned my chances
The answers want it that way
But I'm still awake
I have opponents
I've got moments to own that know my way
[Chorus: 2X]
But it still exists and it's still there
You can't escape these wicked games
Go through your pain and struggle but maintain the knowing
Of what'll come to you showing, it's all right
There's plenty around to drown you
Pronounciate found to all that surround you
Give them all flight
Running away is a stain
In the mud a brain stem with a plug
When you get there you don't know why you came
You end up going where your knowing
Is showing in different form
But inside you feel the same
There's always someone else to blame
Now this was a long, long time ago
When music was loved on the radio
Before my birth, I'm not that old
Bands didn't have to pay the radio to be sold
I'm told, it was quite a day
To have a station have a dj
Not have a play list of what he'd play
Or a PD wanting it their way
Just a love for tunes and comparison
Now we just compare embarrassment
It's such a scare this carelessness
It's not awareness, it's harassment
Cherish this choice that we have
Not to listen if it gets bad
Not to listen if it's add
Don't have to bitch and kick and get sad
That it takes ten days of supervision
For you to find a good song to listen
I got mine new to tradition
Let's just break this new tradition
Play the game, play the game
Place your blame on a taste of fame
Play the same way, a faceless name would play the game
Play the game
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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.
To me this song is about a guy who was having "wicked games" being played with him and he is talking about how he is hurt but still going.
Well put, hes saying how he's been hurt but at the end of the day you're just going to have to get over it.
It's basically saying that you can't run away from your problems, you've got to face them head on.
"Running away is a stain in the mud"
Well this song is pretty straight forward I thought, but still has great meaning.
They use the metaphor of games to describe how everything that we do or go about things. Though truly it isn't a metaphor because the definition of a game is "anything resembling a game, as in requiring skill, endurance, or adherence to rules."
More specifically they are using this definition: "to act in an evasive, deceitful, manipulative, or trifling manner in dealing with others."
His first verse goes on to show the needlessness of games if people were open and open-minded with other. But the rest explains how it seems impossible when everyone is creating more defenses for others manipulation and greedy tactics while doing the same so that it creates an endless loop.
Sounds like the 'Wicked Games' that life can play on you. Sure you can run away from the problems life throws at you, but no matter what, 'you can't escape all these wicked games'.
My favourite line from this song is 'I've got moments to own that know my way'. Let that one sink in. Every moment or opponent you conquer, or even run away from, are part of a predefined direction. The opponent isn't necessarily another person, but whatever hardship life has placed in front of you.
I could go on for paragraphs explaining my thoughts on this song, but at the end of day it's easy to sum up quickly. This song covers most aspects of life and how it doesn't really matter how you tackle them; as life is full of wicked games.