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.
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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Music is a language; a universal language. The site is SongMeanings, not LyricMeanings. So I'd say yes, even entirely or almost entirely instrumental songs can be analyzed for their meanings here.
this song sounds like a person dying (the first calm section), the soul leaving the body (the loud part) and then ascending upwards.
i'm sure the mogwai boys would piss themselves laughing if they read that, but still ....
i like your interpretation
i can understand them. some of them. its taken a life experience to understand whats being said. its so clear now though
I've tried, I've truly. I've tried so hard for far so long
I've tried I've truly I've tried to hard For far so long
I've tried, Truly.
let you go impossable
so long so long so long
falling falling falling
repeats
There is actual lyrics to this song. Which is weird, there songs usually have no lyrics but it's
I've tried, I've truly. I've tried so hard for far so long
I've tried I've truly I've tried to hard For far so long
I've tried, Truly.
let you go imposable
so long so long so long
falling falling falling
If you listen to the song while reading that, you will understand what they are saying. It's such a beautiful song, I've never herd any other like it.
This song is pure beauty. I took a friend to see them on the Rock Action tour and this is the song that blew both of us away.
Y'know, I think the purpose of this site is to comment on the meanings of the lyrics. So they are kinda required. And this song isn't fully instrumental, it does have some (albeit nigh-impossible to make out) lyrics. Not to be nasty or anything, just saying...
Sometimes the meanings of the title can be discussed and sometimes the instrumental can be discussed as part of the bigger picture (the album), but, yeah, most of the time it's just pointless.
oh, and there ARE vocals, but they've been distorted, presumably by the machine mentioned on the mogwai.co.uk FAQ page. mogwai.co.uk/faq.html (first question)
This is among my favourite Mogwai tracks of all time. A couple years back I travelled across Canada on a bus and this song reminds me of going through prairie land in springtime at 5 in the morning after a storm. Gorgeous.
Same for me here! I travelled across the prairies from BC to Manitoba by train, I remember waking up in the morning and seeing my family sleeping. Looking out the window.. Thinking about what "home" is.
in France, we have an expression.... " 2 intelligents font un idiot".... it means.... 2 people, in school, two serious kids, who have good homwork, etc, when they takl together, it makes one... dumb kid... so... 2 good people when they dont want to be awesome, they are perfect dumb... i dont know if you understant what i mean...
and for me this track is the translate of the french expression... 2 good things make one thing "wrong" so a idiot thing...
and the track is one of the musical perfection i know...