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.
I can still see the light at the end of the tunnel shine,
Through the dark times even when I lose my mind.
But it feels like no one in the world is listenin',
And I can't ever seem to make the right decisions.
I walk around in the same haze, I'm still caught in my same ways.
I'm losing time in these strange days,
But somehow I always know the right things to say.
I don't know what time it is,
Or who's the one to blame for this.
Do I believe what I can't see?
And how do you know which way the wind blows?
'Cause I can feel it all around,
I'm lost between the sound.
And just when I think I know, there she goes.
Goodbye for now, Goodbye for now (so long)
Goodbye for now,
I'm not the type to say I told you so.
Goodbye for now (so long)
I think the hardest part of holding on is lettin' it go.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
I'm still smiling as the day goes by,
And how come nobody ever knows the reasons why?
Bury it deep, so far that you can't see.
If your like me, who wears a broken heart on your sleeve,
Pains and struggles that you know so well,
Either time don't, it can't, or it just won't tell.
I'm not the type to say I told you so,
I think the hardest part of holding on is lettin' it go.
I don't know what time it is,
Or who's the one to blame for this.
Do I believe what I can't see?
And how do you know which way the wind blows?
'Cause I can feel it all around,
I'm lost between the sound.
And just when I think I know, there she goes.
Goodbye for now, Goodbye for now (so long)
Goodbye for now,
I'm not the type to say I told you so.
Goodbye for now (so long)
I think the hardest part of holding on is lettin' it go.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
And you can sing until there's no song left (song left)
And I can scream until the world goes deaf (goes deaf)
For every other word left unsaid,
You should've took the time to read the signs
And see what it meant (what it meant)
In some ways everybody feels alone,
So if the burden is mine then I can carry my own (carry my own)
If joy really comes in the morning time,
Then I'm gonna sit back and wait until the next sunrise.
Goodbye for now, goodbye for now (so long)
Goodbye for now,
I'm not the type to say I told you so.
Goodbye for now (so long)
I think the hardest part of holding on is lettin' it go.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
Through the dark times even when I lose my mind.
But it feels like no one in the world is listenin',
And I can't ever seem to make the right decisions.
I walk around in the same haze, I'm still caught in my same ways.
I'm losing time in these strange days,
But somehow I always know the right things to say.
I don't know what time it is,
Or who's the one to blame for this.
Do I believe what I can't see?
And how do you know which way the wind blows?
'Cause I can feel it all around,
I'm lost between the sound.
And just when I think I know, there she goes.
Goodbye for now, Goodbye for now (so long)
Goodbye for now,
I'm not the type to say I told you so.
Goodbye for now (so long)
I think the hardest part of holding on is lettin' it go.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
I'm still smiling as the day goes by,
And how come nobody ever knows the reasons why?
Bury it deep, so far that you can't see.
If your like me, who wears a broken heart on your sleeve,
Pains and struggles that you know so well,
Either time don't, it can't, or it just won't tell.
I'm not the type to say I told you so,
I think the hardest part of holding on is lettin' it go.
I don't know what time it is,
Or who's the one to blame for this.
Do I believe what I can't see?
And how do you know which way the wind blows?
'Cause I can feel it all around,
I'm lost between the sound.
And just when I think I know, there she goes.
Goodbye for now, Goodbye for now (so long)
Goodbye for now,
I'm not the type to say I told you so.
Goodbye for now (so long)
I think the hardest part of holding on is lettin' it go.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
And you can sing until there's no song left (song left)
And I can scream until the world goes deaf (goes deaf)
For every other word left unsaid,
You should've took the time to read the signs
And see what it meant (what it meant)
In some ways everybody feels alone,
So if the burden is mine then I can carry my own (carry my own)
If joy really comes in the morning time,
Then I'm gonna sit back and wait until the next sunrise.
Goodbye for now, goodbye for now (so long)
Goodbye for now,
I'm not the type to say I told you so.
Goodbye for now (so long)
I think the hardest part of holding on is lettin' it go.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
When will we sing a new song? A new song.
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Wodeva, I'm really sorry about your friend. I can see how the lyrics might convey that idea. I hope you and others can hold on to the line about joy coming in the morning. I know sometimes the night seems awfully long. When I think about giving up I like to listen to Aragorn's speech in LOTR when he says "A day may come when the courage of men fails ... but it is not this day" (You can find it at americanrhetoric.com under The Return of the King).
For romodavid and freejack, thank you, you cheered me right up and made me feel not so old :) In the class my students bring in their favorite CDs, so I hadn't actually heard of POD before, but I liked it a lot, so maybe I'll get one to go with my new Pillar CD. I started investigating because when I listened to my Ted Nugent tape for the first time in 20 years I realized how ungodly his lyrics were. I sure am glad there are some great Christian hard rock musicians around. Grace and peace to you all.