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.
It's a ten-hour drive to our next show
across the western wasteland
with no gigs in between
and the gas gauge says we are empty
but that's okay
'cause we don't burn gasoline
we burn our dreams
we burn our hopes
this van should have died a hundred-thousand miles ago
but it keeps going
we've got our good-luck charms on the dashboard
I've been driving all day
i've been driving all night
i think i can drive for the rest of my whole life
And when i feel like i'm about to fall asleep
i just stare at the taillights of the truck in front of me
and i pretend that they are eyes
and the bumper is a mouth
filled with red and white teeth
and it guides me safely to the sunrise again
But if by chance i fall asleep at the wheel tonight
and crash and die
construct a roadside monument
to commemorate my life
and honk your horn every time that you drive by
And i will be so grateful
i will be so grateful
just to know that you still care
and i will be so thankful
yes, i will be so thankful
know that somebody's still there
This road is a long and ugly road but
this road kind of feels like my home
i'm always aching
to find out just exactly where it goes
Icarus made some wings and tried to fly up to the sun
even though everybody told him that it could not be done
so he died, but at least he tried
and i bet that he had fun
And you may say there's not a lot to see on this drive
and i guess you would be right
but you're never gonna see the stars shine this bright
And i don't know what it is we hope we'll find
but i plan on lookin' for it all of my life
because i feel like something must be missing
something's missing
Can't you feel that empty feeling inside
doesn't it make you wanna get in your car
or run your bike and ride
just to see what you might find out there
So i wear my tires thin
I'll destroy the soles on my shoes
i'll walk into the wind
and i'll send postcards back to you
i'll miss my dearest friends
and i'll miss this city too
but i'll feel bound, obligated
to do what i have to do
'Cause the sun never really sets
no the sun never goes down
we're just spinning
around and around and around and around and around
No the sun never really sets
no the sun never goes down
we're just spinning
around and around and around and around and around
and around and around
across the western wasteland
with no gigs in between
and the gas gauge says we are empty
but that's okay
'cause we don't burn gasoline
we burn our dreams
we burn our hopes
this van should have died a hundred-thousand miles ago
but it keeps going
we've got our good-luck charms on the dashboard
I've been driving all day
i've been driving all night
i think i can drive for the rest of my whole life
And when i feel like i'm about to fall asleep
i just stare at the taillights of the truck in front of me
and i pretend that they are eyes
and the bumper is a mouth
filled with red and white teeth
and it guides me safely to the sunrise again
But if by chance i fall asleep at the wheel tonight
and crash and die
construct a roadside monument
to commemorate my life
and honk your horn every time that you drive by
And i will be so grateful
i will be so grateful
just to know that you still care
and i will be so thankful
yes, i will be so thankful
know that somebody's still there
This road is a long and ugly road but
this road kind of feels like my home
i'm always aching
to find out just exactly where it goes
Icarus made some wings and tried to fly up to the sun
even though everybody told him that it could not be done
so he died, but at least he tried
and i bet that he had fun
And you may say there's not a lot to see on this drive
and i guess you would be right
but you're never gonna see the stars shine this bright
And i don't know what it is we hope we'll find
but i plan on lookin' for it all of my life
because i feel like something must be missing
something's missing
Can't you feel that empty feeling inside
doesn't it make you wanna get in your car
or run your bike and ride
just to see what you might find out there
So i wear my tires thin
I'll destroy the soles on my shoes
i'll walk into the wind
and i'll send postcards back to you
i'll miss my dearest friends
and i'll miss this city too
but i'll feel bound, obligated
to do what i have to do
'Cause the sun never really sets
no the sun never goes down
we're just spinning
around and around and around and around and around
No the sun never really sets
no the sun never goes down
we're just spinning
around and around and around and around and around
and around and around
Lyrics submitted by iagoAdmirer
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So i wear my tires thin I'll destroy the soles on my shoes i'll walk into the wind and i'll send postcards back to you i'll miss my dearest friends and i'll miss this city too but i'll feel bound, obligated to do what i have to do
So i wear my tires thin I'll destroy the soles on my shoes i'll walk into the wind and i'll send postcards back to you i'll miss my dearest friends and i'll miss this city too but i'll feel bound, obligated to do what i have to do
the other day, a week ago wednesday actually, i accidently came across some Ghost Mice stuff via the Defiance, Ohio terrorware site, it sounded great.
so i had a lot of mp3 files waiting in limewire to download and let it sit online all night to finish up. i was planning to kill myself on thursday afternoon, but wanted to close up all personal business and such before that.
it was a normal thursday morning, i listened to most of the newly downloaded mp3s and sifted through them quickly. Austin to El Paso came on and i listened to it for some reason and started crying and felt a whole lot better.
i spent the whole day just sitting on the couch listening to folk music, turned the phone and internet off and drank a lot of coffee and watched cartoons to Ghost Mice and a few other bands. i decided that there are 3 amazing things in the world, and together they proove the existance of God (or Goddess or Something Else whatever It is or Is not):
1) Tenacious D, 2) Chubby Women, and 3) 'Austin to El Paso' by Ghost Mice
godsnails, that was beautiful. this is my probably my faovirte song lyrically of all time, it's just so heart-warming. for the past 6 months or i was severely depressed, i'm even on pills right now where the side affects are they make me even more depressed., but for the past week i've been listening to this song at least once a day and i've just been in the best mood. enjoying every second of life. i don't know where i'm going or what i'm doing or if i'll ever make it at all, but for now, life's great :)