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.
Vicious cycle of life: I find that I kill myself every time I look away from you
But I often gaze another moment. Incited scars reopen,
Bleeding again, and they're bleeding at my request
Freely given, and we choose the choice to lose (now we know)
As these scars are screaming at me – just why we've chosen poorly.
Could it be our chance to see why we believe that we need you instead of following numbly?
Ride on, ride strong, soldier, march to the dictated beat.
Have you ever known how victory feels unless you have felt defeat?
Don't want the pain of free will stolen and mindless mechanical will chosen
Cherish the loss – there is no concept of gain without cost.
I fall, and I fall freely. Incited scars are bleeding and now I believe. I freely believe.
When I hit the ground and bloody palms I raise,
The arms that pick me up convince me there's no better place.
But I often gaze another moment. Incited scars reopen,
Bleeding again, and they're bleeding at my request
Freely given, and we choose the choice to lose (now we know)
As these scars are screaming at me – just why we've chosen poorly.
Could it be our chance to see why we believe that we need you instead of following numbly?
Ride on, ride strong, soldier, march to the dictated beat.
Have you ever known how victory feels unless you have felt defeat?
Don't want the pain of free will stolen and mindless mechanical will chosen
Cherish the loss – there is no concept of gain without cost.
I fall, and I fall freely. Incited scars are bleeding and now I believe. I freely believe.
When I hit the ground and bloody palms I raise,
The arms that pick me up convince me there's no better place.
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
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.
The reality of it is DEMOCRACY. This song is all about our wonderings on why God gave us free will. He could have, if he wanted, established a "Dictatorship" and made all the choices for us. But "It's my choice." He gave us free will, I'm thinking, because He wanted us to know that wrong exists and He wanted us to experience defeat so that we know we need Him. At the end of the song, the man realizes that the mistakes he is making are only contributing to his misery, so he goes back to God. Props to Staple for sweet and true lyrics!