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.
Tonight woke I, a strange bed
Strange bedfellow strange
Tonight, found I, a strange bed
A strange bedfellow strange
Said it to me, oh you'll be alright
Oh said it to me, oh you'll be alright
In a strange bed, in a strange bed
The bedfellow strange
Said it to me, what they've always said
Said it to me, what I've always heard
You're gonna make it, you're gonna make it
You're gonna make it, girl
You're gonna make it, you're gonna make it
You're gonna make it, girl
Girl, you sleep with success
Girl, you sleep with success
Well tonight, slept I have in the beds of middle America
Life off the fat of the man
Oh, now I'm going to go out tonight
I'm gonna try, try to make it
Live I, as fast as I can
Live I, as fast I as can
Oh, and I said to it, success
I didn't recognize you at first
But then I said to it, success
You don't look the way I have dreamed of you
Dreamed of you
We're not strange, said success
To find me here to tonight
We're not strange, said success
So what say you to a bargain?
Twixt you and I, success in life
What say you to a bargain?
Twixt you and I, success
And success it said to me
Forget about the beds of middle America
You don't need the fat of the man
Now why don't you sleep with me tonight
That's all you've got to do to make it
And I, as fast as we can
And I, as fast we as can
Oh and then I said to it, success
I couldn't love you if I tried
Oh, and then I said to it, success
I couldn't love you if I tried
And I've tried and I've tried and I've tried
Something about success that lies
Something about success that lies
Lies next to me in a strange bed
In a strange bed, bedfellow strange
Strange bedfellow strange
Tonight, found I, a strange bed
A strange bedfellow strange
Said it to me, oh you'll be alright
Oh said it to me, oh you'll be alright
In a strange bed, in a strange bed
The bedfellow strange
Said it to me, what they've always said
Said it to me, what I've always heard
You're gonna make it, you're gonna make it
You're gonna make it, girl
You're gonna make it, you're gonna make it
You're gonna make it, girl
Girl, you sleep with success
Girl, you sleep with success
Well tonight, slept I have in the beds of middle America
Life off the fat of the man
Oh, now I'm going to go out tonight
I'm gonna try, try to make it
Live I, as fast as I can
Live I, as fast I as can
Oh, and I said to it, success
I didn't recognize you at first
But then I said to it, success
You don't look the way I have dreamed of you
Dreamed of you
We're not strange, said success
To find me here to tonight
We're not strange, said success
So what say you to a bargain?
Twixt you and I, success in life
What say you to a bargain?
Twixt you and I, success
And success it said to me
Forget about the beds of middle America
You don't need the fat of the man
Now why don't you sleep with me tonight
That's all you've got to do to make it
And I, as fast as we can
And I, as fast we as can
Oh and then I said to it, success
I couldn't love you if I tried
Oh, and then I said to it, success
I couldn't love you if I tried
And I've tried and I've tried and I've tried
Something about success that lies
Something about success that lies
Lies next to me in a strange bed
In a strange bed, bedfellow strange
Lyrics submitted by 16996602
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
This song is so freaking great! This song seems to be about success, especially in show bussiness and the arts. How it is relative, and doesn't nessessarily mean better art or happiness. I love how she talks to success. THe idea of success being embodied and saying "All you have to do is sleep with me tongiht." is just amazing. This song = awesome