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.
I swapped my innocence for pride
Crushed the end within my stride
Said I'm strong, now I know that I'm a leaver
I love the sound of you walking away, you walking away
Mascara bleeds the blackened tear, oh
And I am cold
Yes I'm cold
But not as cold as you are
I love the sound of you walking away
You walking away
I love the sound of you walking away
Walking away, hey, hey
Why don't you walk away?
Why don't you walk away?
Why don't you walk away?
No buildings will fall down
Don't you walk away
No quake will split the ground
Won't you walk away
The sun won't swallow the sky
Won't you walk away
Statues will not cry
Don't you walk away
Why don't you walk away?
Why don't you walk away?
Why don't you walk away?
I cannot stand to see those eyes
As apologies may rise
I must be strong, stay an unbeliever
And love the sound of you walking away
You walking away
Mascara bleeds into my eye, oh
And I'm not cold, I am old
At least as old as you are
And as you walk away
Oh as you walk away
And as you walk away
My headstone crumbles down
As you walk away
The Hollywood wind's a howl
As you walk away
The Kremlin's falling
As you walk away
Radio Four is static
As you walk away
Oh as you walk away
Oh as you walk away
Oh as you walk away, hey
The stab of stiletto
On a silent night
Stalin smiles and Hitler laughs
Churchill claps Mao Tse-Tung on the back
Crushed the end within my stride
Said I'm strong, now I know that I'm a leaver
I love the sound of you walking away, you walking away
Mascara bleeds the blackened tear, oh
And I am cold
Yes I'm cold
But not as cold as you are
I love the sound of you walking away
You walking away
I love the sound of you walking away
Walking away, hey, hey
Why don't you walk away?
Why don't you walk away?
Why don't you walk away?
No buildings will fall down
Don't you walk away
No quake will split the ground
Won't you walk away
The sun won't swallow the sky
Won't you walk away
Statues will not cry
Don't you walk away
Why don't you walk away?
Why don't you walk away?
Why don't you walk away?
I cannot stand to see those eyes
As apologies may rise
I must be strong, stay an unbeliever
And love the sound of you walking away
You walking away
Mascara bleeds into my eye, oh
And I'm not cold, I am old
At least as old as you are
And as you walk away
Oh as you walk away
And as you walk away
My headstone crumbles down
As you walk away
The Hollywood wind's a howl
As you walk away
The Kremlin's falling
As you walk away
Radio Four is static
As you walk away
Oh as you walk away
Oh as you walk away
Oh as you walk away, hey
The stab of stiletto
On a silent night
Stalin smiles and Hitler laughs
Churchill claps Mao Tse-Tung on the back
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I love the mention of Stalin, Hitler, Churchill and Mao Tse-Tung. The story I heard was that Franz were in a shop in America and saw four little action figures of these leaders standing together and looking happy, which of course would never happen, so they wrote that image into a song. I think it's great.
And this one is amazing in concert, probably the best of the night (next to 40', but only becuase of personal bias). Absolute poetry.