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.
Were losing daylight but I can't work any faster.
Under the veil of dust we go on
Don't close your eyes.
What if it all disappears in the shadows?
Now reach for the stars
If I held my ground would you ask me to change
This drought bleeds on now we're dancing for rain
We drink the air but its still not the same
These worlds collide but the distance remains
We point the finger, never accept the blame and I know, I know
The waters come but the fire still rages on here
The men all shrugged their shoulders and left
We sleep so sound in rooms just up the stairs
Will you save us like you saved them?
If I held my ground would you ask me to change
This drought bleeds on now we're dancing for rain
We drink the air but its so not the same
These worlds collide but the distance remains
We point the finger, never accept the blame and I know, I know
You've bled me dry but I'm still breathing
I swear I'm sucking dry the sky
And you won't ever find us kneeling
Or swallowing your lies
If I held my ground would you ask me to change
This drought bleeds on now we're dancing for rain
We drink the air but its so not the same
These worlds collide but the distance remains
We point the finger, never accept the blame, and I know, I know
This drought bleeds on, this drought bleeds on
Under the veil of dust we go on
Don't close your eyes.
What if it all disappears in the shadows?
Now reach for the stars
If I held my ground would you ask me to change
This drought bleeds on now we're dancing for rain
We drink the air but its still not the same
These worlds collide but the distance remains
We point the finger, never accept the blame and I know, I know
The waters come but the fire still rages on here
The men all shrugged their shoulders and left
We sleep so sound in rooms just up the stairs
Will you save us like you saved them?
If I held my ground would you ask me to change
This drought bleeds on now we're dancing for rain
We drink the air but its so not the same
These worlds collide but the distance remains
We point the finger, never accept the blame and I know, I know
You've bled me dry but I'm still breathing
I swear I'm sucking dry the sky
And you won't ever find us kneeling
Or swallowing your lies
If I held my ground would you ask me to change
This drought bleeds on now we're dancing for rain
We drink the air but its so not the same
These worlds collide but the distance remains
We point the finger, never accept the blame, and I know, I know
This drought bleeds on, this drought bleeds on
Lyrics submitted by Kabooks1212, edited by sokorny
Dancing for Rain Lyrics as written by Christopher Chasse Brandon Barnes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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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.
American Town
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Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
I disagree with everyone.
I imagine a small village who is in the middle of a drought. A building catches on fire, so there is no water. Rushingly, the village forms one of the those bucket lines, where pails of water are tossed down and thrown on the fire. There is no water, except for a river. The family trapped inside the building is of a rivaling village, so the men eventually, even though they could get the river water, they say "forget it" and let him die.
Reasoning:
"Were losing daylight but i cant work any faster. under the veil of dust we go on. So close your eyes. What if it all disappears in the shadows, that reach for the stars?" -Working hard to put out the fire, eventually they relize they are helping the man inside, who is of a rivaling village. Close your eyes = imagine, what if it all disappears in the shadows that reach for the stars? What if the enemy died in that fire? It would be good.
"if i held my ground would you ask me to change? this drought bleeds on now were dancing for rain" The man trapped is thinking 'If I stay here, in this fire, are you going to ask me to change? Not become the enemy, the rival?' They keep telling him to become like his enemies so they will save him. He is praying for rain, since no one will get water during the drought.
"we drink the air but its so not the same" the air is not the same, it is now smoke. He is breathing to smoke.
"these worlds colide but the distance remains we point the finger, never accept the blame" Worlds collide. He is in the enemy's town, but they won't help him because of who he is--the distance remains. Pointing the finger and not accepting the blame either means they will pass off his death to each other, or representation of the fact that they are enemies because they accuse.
"the waters come but the fire still rages on here" The water is going to the lower level floors, not where he is, and where the fire is.
"the men all shrugged their shoulders and left" They finished evacuating everyone but the trapped man, so they all pretended not to notice and left.
"we sleep so sound in rooms just up the stairs will you save us like you saved them?" The town saved their own people, not him. Will you save us?
So, it is a trapped man in the town of his enemies, and no matter how nice he is to them, the distance remains, and they will not save him due to the fact that he is there. I believe this has to do with the war, we, USA, are helping everyone in other countries, but not the people in America who are living in our own country. We save the others first.
I am probably so wrong, but it is my opinion. Correct me if you feel need to.