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.
whats the deal
with my brain
why am I so obviously insane
in a perfect situation
I led love down the drain
theres the pitch
slow and straight
all i have to do is swing
and i'm a hero
but i'm a zero
hungry nights
once again
now its getting unbelievable
cause I could not have it better
but i just can't get no play
from the girls
all around
as they search the night for someone to hold on to
and just pass through
singin ah-AHHHHHHHHHHH
get your hands
off the girl
can't you see that she belongs to me
and i don't appreciate this
excess company
though i can't satisfy
all the needs she has and so she starts to wander
can you blame her?
singin ah-AHHHHHHHHHHHH
tell me theres a logic out there
leading me to better prepare
for the day that something really special might come
tell me theres some hope for me
i don't want to be lonely
for the rest of my days on the earth
ah-AHHHHHHHHHHh
ah-AHHHHHHHHH
singin AH-AHHHHHHHHHHH
with my brain
why am I so obviously insane
in a perfect situation
I led love down the drain
theres the pitch
slow and straight
all i have to do is swing
and i'm a hero
but i'm a zero
hungry nights
once again
now its getting unbelievable
cause I could not have it better
but i just can't get no play
from the girls
all around
as they search the night for someone to hold on to
and just pass through
singin ah-AHHHHHHHHHHH
get your hands
off the girl
can't you see that she belongs to me
and i don't appreciate this
excess company
though i can't satisfy
all the needs she has and so she starts to wander
can you blame her?
singin ah-AHHHHHHHHHHHH
tell me theres a logic out there
leading me to better prepare
for the day that something really special might come
tell me theres some hope for me
i don't want to be lonely
for the rest of my days on the earth
ah-AHHHHHHHHHHh
ah-AHHHHHHHHH
singin AH-AHHHHHHHHHHH
Lyrics submitted by Wrapid
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Light Up The Sky
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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"
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
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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,
Page
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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.
This song is obviosly about a guy (like me) who likes a girl and is sure that the girl likes him back however (like me) he instead of makeing a move gets scared and choses to do nothing and is sad about it later that night.
I read an interview where Rivers said he was at a nightclub or bar and was conversing with a girl for a few hours, thought everything was great and couldnt close the deal...He then went home and wrote this on an acoustic....
Best song on the album.... hands down....
The intro rocks nicely.
Make believe is awesome to the max
Everyone can (or will someday) relate to this song. While I normally stick to the blue and pinkerton albums, this song is fantastic. they played it at a show in hartford, ct a few weeks ago and it was great.
i was there man! seat ss 505
while i was standing next to the love of my life who broke u with me two days before, the day before our 5 month anniversary. absolutely perfect.
this is a sad song basically talks about how he can never keep a girl because he's never good enough its sad
It's about a guy with no confidence. He never can get with the girls, even if its a sure thing. He has anxiety and always finds a way to mess it up. He wants to control it but he can't. Then he finally has a girl, he's protective as he feels if she meets other guys then she won't want him. Its part of his lack of confidence again. He thinks she doesn't like him because he can't satisfy her so he thinks she's going to leave him anyway. In the end he lets her go as he doesn't see himself fit to keep her. He asks himself if he has any hope, he doesn't want to be alone. He's tired of being alone. He can't stand it anymore, he's afraid of living a life without love.
One of the more self explanatory songs on Make Believe. A guy likes this girl, and the girl senses that he does ("though I can't satisfy all the needs she has..."), but he fails to make a move, and just let her drift out there. Eventually, she "starts to wander." The dude then feels hopeless etcetera etcetera.
Damn, I can totally friggen relate. The girl I liked is so hot now! Shoulda made a move when I had the chance.
i think this song's gonna be Make Believe's second single
Wow this is a great song.. haha its my favorite song on the album. But im not a man! This completes the album of course. And who ever put the lyrics on ruined the song. is it possible to fix it!? The 30 sec. solo rocks then again. I think Rivers wants to be tree hugger.
It's basically what BurndtToast said, and I really like the analogy of baseball in the beginning to get the point across.
It's really funny that my friend had me listen to this song because this just happened to me and the girl is now with someone else while I'm still alone. Ah well.