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.
The boy done wrong again
Hang your head in shame and cry your life away
The boy done wrong again
Hang your head in shame and cry your life away
Are you ok now?
Are you ok now?
On Saturday I was an angel shining fair
You shone louder, longer
You put my shine to shame
Put me to shame now
Put me to shame
What is it I must do to pay for all my crimes?
What is it I must do?
I would do it all the time
All I wanted was to sing the saddest songs
If somebody sings along I will be happy now
The woodland spring will put the darkness from your thinking
If this town's your sinking ship
Then you know where to jump
Talking dirty, for a hobby it's fine
So pour another glass of wine
I'll think of England this time
All I wanted was to sing the saddest songs
If somebody sings along I will be happy now
Hang your head in shame and cry your life away
The boy done wrong again
Hang your head in shame and cry your life away
Are you ok now?
Are you ok now?
On Saturday I was an angel shining fair
You shone louder, longer
You put my shine to shame
Put me to shame now
Put me to shame
What is it I must do to pay for all my crimes?
What is it I must do?
I would do it all the time
All I wanted was to sing the saddest songs
If somebody sings along I will be happy now
The woodland spring will put the darkness from your thinking
If this town's your sinking ship
Then you know where to jump
Talking dirty, for a hobby it's fine
So pour another glass of wine
I'll think of England this time
All I wanted was to sing the saddest songs
If somebody sings along I will be happy now
Lyrics submitted by ReActor, edited by softhought, adngai, discriminant
The Boy Done Wrong Again Lyrics as written by Christopher Geddes Campbe
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
gorgeous...can anything else be said? it's a sad and lonely song.
"On Saturday I was an angel shining fair; you shone louder, longer; you put my shine to shame, put me to shame now..." Everytime I put on this song I'm so close to crying. It's probably one of the most lovely, truly sad songs I know.
Lovely lovely lovely. But then does a Belle & Sebastian song exist that is anything else?
"you shone louder" is just clever, clever, clever! it reminds me of "your smile so loud it still rings in my ears" from the cribs' "be safe" although that should be the other way round as i'm sure b&s wrote this first. it does sound a bit like "dirty dream..." i agree. a lot of b&s songs have a similar sound which is nice, they all link together sort of.
how aren't there more responses to this amazing song..??! first time i heard it i almost cried. wish i knew what england had to do with it or dirty talking... such a good song
'Lying back and thinking of England' is what a dutiful wife is supposed to do during sex. The implication is that the sex is being forced on the protagonist by the other person, and that they don't really want it. Think missionary position, counting the cracks in the ceiling, etc.
"What is it I must do to pay for all my crimes..." etc are some very, very sad lyrics.
belle and sebastian does an amazing job at bringing emotion through into their songs. you can't help but be moved when you hear them sing. their songs are about real things that happen. like caitsith01 said, it's about sex in a relationship that is horrible for the protagonist. and they can't think of any way to get out of it other than "to jump".
I think this song is about alcoholism.. "I'll have another glass of wine and think Of England this time" , and the saddest songs are brought on from depression..
Is it just me or are parts of the melody of this identical to Dirty Dream Number Two?
This has pretty much become my theme song over the past two months. It's kept me company in the blueness of depression I've encountered. It's a sad song but it's beautiful. It's a piece of art.
Also, (not that it matters:) "hang your head in shame and cry your life away" has echoed through my head today. It's almost like the song is saying to me "it's ok to be blue, to feel pointless, to acknowledge darkness and just cry instead of trying to shut it down/out." It is a SAD, sad song but I don't think that is necessarily a dark thing.