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.
She lay in bed all night watching the colours change
She lay in bed all night watching the morning change
She lay in bed all night watching the morning change into green and gold
The doctor told her years ago that she was ill
The doctor told her years ago to take a pill
The doctor told her years ago that she'd go blind if she wasn't careful
They let Lisa go blind
The world was at her feet and she was looking down
They let Lisa go blind
And everyone she knew thought she was beautiful
Only slightly mental
Beautiful, only temperamental
Beautiful, only slightly mental
Beautiful
She thought it would be fun to try photography
She thought it would be fun to try pornography
She thought it would be fun to try most anything
She was tired of sleeping
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
They let Lisa go blind
She's looking like a queen
But if you knew what's going on in her life
There'd be a thousand barren mothers there to talk to her
If you knew what's going on in her life
There'd be two hundred troubled teenagers to sit with her
And to talk to her
If you knew what's going on in her life
What's going on in her life
There would be a documentary on Radio 4
She made herself a pair of orthopaedic shoes
She thought it was the answer to the fashion blues
She thought it was an answer to the fashion blues
But she walked with a limp
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
She lay in bed all night watching the morning change
She lay in bed all night watching the morning change into green and gold
The doctor told her years ago that she was ill
The doctor told her years ago to take a pill
The doctor told her years ago that she'd go blind if she wasn't careful
They let Lisa go blind
The world was at her feet and she was looking down
They let Lisa go blind
And everyone she knew thought she was beautiful
Only slightly mental
Beautiful, only temperamental
Beautiful, only slightly mental
Beautiful
She thought it would be fun to try photography
She thought it would be fun to try pornography
She thought it would be fun to try most anything
She was tired of sleeping
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
They let Lisa go blind
She's looking like a queen
But if you knew what's going on in her life
There'd be a thousand barren mothers there to talk to her
If you knew what's going on in her life
There'd be two hundred troubled teenagers to sit with her
And to talk to her
If you knew what's going on in her life
What's going on in her life
There would be a documentary on Radio 4
She made herself a pair of orthopaedic shoes
She thought it was the answer to the fashion blues
She thought it was an answer to the fashion blues
But she walked with a limp
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
They let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind, let Lisa go blind
Lyrics submitted by michaelbondy, edited by middledistancerunner
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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i've loved this song for ages. i think it's about this girl who seems ok but she only seems that way because her doctor gave her pills to keep the sadness away. the going blind part i think has to do with crying (like when someone says if you keep crying so much you'll go blind) but since everyone assumed she was ok, no one helped her stop crying and she went blind. the irony of it is that there are a ton of people who could care for her or at least care about her and relate to her (barren mothers, isolated teenagers), but no one knows whats she going through. lisa's interested in a lot of stuff (photography, pornography) but she feels stuck in this boring, routine life where she feels like cant make things happen for herself.
i used to think i was her.
(ps sorry for being all ramble-y and emo about it. oh well!)
I'm sorry, but pornography is not an interest that you pursue, especially not women.
The line is: She thought it would be fun to try photography She thought it would be fun to try pornography She thought it would be fun to try most anything
It sounds to me here that she became involved in some kind of desperate downward spiral which involved posing for pornographic pictures. How this fits in with anything else in the song, I have no idea.
No one's commented on this?! This song is brilliant. I find it kind of hard to figure out what it's about though, considering the almost contradicting lyrics. It's definitely putting across the feeling that Lisa is a weird person, though.
This is one of my all-time favorite b&s songs. I've always wondered who Lisa is.
I love this song too!!
this song is amazing. maybe you had to know lisa to understand it.
I do know lisa. quite well
I agree with theyletme. I've felt like Lisa too.
I heard this song last night and it sounded so familiar. Like I had heard it before. Definitely one of my favorite Belle and Sebastian songs.
i love this song
i think its about a girl who people only see whats going on on the outside, and dont really care about her-slightly mental, and tempramental but shes beautiful-she does things that seem right, like take a pill or wear orthopedic shoes but thats just making things worse because even though there are people around her they only see "the pill" or the shoes. they only see the things that are supposed to make her better
that could be totally and completely wrong
i thinks its just about a young troubled girl who is doing worse than she lets on. people think she's a bit weird but they don't see a reason to try and help her even though she needs it.
and maybe going blind means going on drugs. instead of talking to her they (maybe her parents) just put her on something even though "If you knew what's going on in her life there'd be two hundred troubled teenagers to sit with her and talk to her" really all she needs is just someone to talk to.
i was part lisa. i love the name lisa. complex stuff. Lisa from the song seems complex too. theylermegoblind, im with her. shes right! awsoem song!