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 Friar gave my nose a tweak,
Innocence to dispose,
Messiah’s appear twice a week,
Same man in different clothes,
And the bluebird swept those thorns away,
Stepped on everyone’s toes,
As the maid was in the garden,
Trying to pick herself a rose.
“Come in,” she said, whilst scratching me,
“Put your feet up by the fire,”
Her daughter in the room above,
Was burning with desire,
I said, “I can’t stay too long today,”
But that turned me to a liar,
She said, “that’s a shame, I was hoping we could
Take our friendship a little higher.”
And that’s easy for me to say,
The less fortunate have won,
Blessed are the meek, they say,
But those sayings are undone.
Those sayings are undone.
The portrait on the wall depicted
An old man, frail and grey,
I had a feeling in my soul,
That he’s seen much better days.
I mentioned, as we took a walk,
That I had something to say,
We crossed fields and rivers, roads and paths,
But never found our way.
Delirious with joy she sang,
“This little song’s for you,”
She sang “The Ballad of The Thin Man,”
And every word rang true,
Then the gamekeeper let two shots ring out,
That split the air in two,
We grabbed our things and disappeared,
As that sweet bluebird flew.
And that’s easy for me to say,
The less fortunate have won,
Blessed are the meek, they say,
But those sayings are undone.
Those sayings are undone.
That night I stopped in to a place,
To grab myself a beer,
When I sharp voice from the corner asked;
“What are you doing here?”
“Just stopped in for I drink,” I said,
“But if I offend I’ll disappear.”
He threw some money on the bar,
And whispered in my ear.
“The Friar and Messiah,
And the Maid you knew today,
And her daughter in the room above,
(She will be mine, some day),
And the old man in the portrait,
With his hair of silver grey,
The Gamekeeper, that bluebird and us,
We all will fly away.”
And that’s easy for me to say,
The less fortunate have won,
Blessed are the meek, they say,
But those sayings are undone.
Those sayings are undone.
Innocence to dispose,
Messiah’s appear twice a week,
Same man in different clothes,
And the bluebird swept those thorns away,
Stepped on everyone’s toes,
As the maid was in the garden,
Trying to pick herself a rose.
“Come in,” she said, whilst scratching me,
“Put your feet up by the fire,”
Her daughter in the room above,
Was burning with desire,
I said, “I can’t stay too long today,”
But that turned me to a liar,
She said, “that’s a shame, I was hoping we could
Take our friendship a little higher.”
And that’s easy for me to say,
The less fortunate have won,
Blessed are the meek, they say,
But those sayings are undone.
Those sayings are undone.
The portrait on the wall depicted
An old man, frail and grey,
I had a feeling in my soul,
That he’s seen much better days.
I mentioned, as we took a walk,
That I had something to say,
We crossed fields and rivers, roads and paths,
But never found our way.
Delirious with joy she sang,
“This little song’s for you,”
She sang “The Ballad of The Thin Man,”
And every word rang true,
Then the gamekeeper let two shots ring out,
That split the air in two,
We grabbed our things and disappeared,
As that sweet bluebird flew.
And that’s easy for me to say,
The less fortunate have won,
Blessed are the meek, they say,
But those sayings are undone.
Those sayings are undone.
That night I stopped in to a place,
To grab myself a beer,
When I sharp voice from the corner asked;
“What are you doing here?”
“Just stopped in for I drink,” I said,
“But if I offend I’ll disappear.”
He threw some money on the bar,
And whispered in my ear.
“The Friar and Messiah,
And the Maid you knew today,
And her daughter in the room above,
(She will be mine, some day),
And the old man in the portrait,
With his hair of silver grey,
The Gamekeeper, that bluebird and us,
We all will fly away.”
And that’s easy for me to say,
The less fortunate have won,
Blessed are the meek, they say,
But those sayings are undone.
Those sayings are undone.
Lyrics submitted by driver08uk
The Devil Rides Backwards On A Horse Called Maybe song meanings
Add Your Thoughts
0 Comments
- No Comments
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”
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
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.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.