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 drummers and jugglers in Montreal
Don't even exist at all
So I'm tearing up these tarot cards and Venetians clowns
Antique shops and alcoholic homosexuals
You may ask why I want to torch my home town
Partly it's bitterness and hopping 'round and 'round again
On Ontario Street looking up
Maybe I'll catch him on his way to the show
You travel the world and find all the answers
Everything operates on the unattainable's
And then you hear your mother laugh attached to the phone
Could have walked around the block 'cause all roads lead to
home
Say, will you ever ever ever know,
Ever ever ever fly away?
Will you ever ever ever go,
Ever ever ever find a way?
Don't even exist at all
So I'm tearing up these tarot cards and Venetians clowns
Antique shops and alcoholic homosexuals
You may ask why I want to torch my home town
Partly it's bitterness and hopping 'round and 'round again
On Ontario Street looking up
Maybe I'll catch him on his way to the show
You travel the world and find all the answers
Everything operates on the unattainable's
And then you hear your mother laugh attached to the phone
Could have walked around the block 'cause all roads lead to
home
Say, will you ever ever ever know,
Ever ever ever fly away?
Will you ever ever ever go,
Ever ever ever find a way?
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
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.
The drummers and jugglers in Montreal Don't even exist at all So I'm tearing up these tarot cards and Venetian clowns Antique shops and alcoholic homosexuals
You may ask why I want to torch my home town Partly it’s bitterness and hopping around And ‘round again on Ontario Street looking up Maybe I'll catch him on his way to the show
You travel the world and find all the answers Ev'rything operates on the unattainable And then you hear your mother laugh attached to the phone Could have walked around the block, ‘cause all roads lead to home
Say, will you ever, ever, ever know? Ever, ever, ever fly away? Will you ever, ever, ever go? Ever, ever, ever find a way?
I think this song is about how "travelling out to find your way home" is a waste of time as there's nothing special to be found out there. So eventually you'll end back home plus the frustration of that this greener grass you thought you'd find wasn't to be found anywhere.
I can't BELIEVE nobody's commented on this song... it's gorgeous. Rufus rocks.
i LOVE this song! I can't believe it either...