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.
Please understand
This isn't just goodbye
This is "I can't stand you"
This is where the road crashed into the ocean
It rises all around me
And now we're barely breathing
A thousand faces we'll choose to ignore
Curse my enemies forever
Let's slit our wrists and burn down something beautiful
This desperation leaves me overjoyed
With fading lights that lead us past the lives that we destroyed
I listen to you cry
I cry for less attention
But both my hands are tied
And I'm pushed into the deep end
I listen to you talk, but talk is cheap
And my mouth is filled with blood from trying not to speak
So search for an excuse, and someone to believe you
In foreign dressing rooms
I'm empty with the need to
Curse my enemies forever
Let's slit our wrists and burn down something beautiful
This desperation leaves me overjoyed
With fading lights that lead us past the lives that we destroyed
Curse my enemies forever
Let's slit our wrists and burn down something beautiful
This desperation is leaving me overjoyed
With fading lights that lead us past the lives that we destroyed
Please understand.
Lay rotting where I fall
I'm dead from bad intentions
Suffocated and embalmed
And now all our dreams are cashed in
You swore you wouldn't lose then lost your brain
You make a sound that feels like pain
So please understand
This isn't just goodbye
This is "I can't stand you"
This isn't just goodbye
This is "I can't stand you"
This is where the road crashed into the ocean
It rises all around me
And now we're barely breathing
A thousand faces we'll choose to ignore
Curse my enemies forever
Let's slit our wrists and burn down something beautiful
This desperation leaves me overjoyed
With fading lights that lead us past the lives that we destroyed
I listen to you cry
I cry for less attention
But both my hands are tied
And I'm pushed into the deep end
I listen to you talk, but talk is cheap
And my mouth is filled with blood from trying not to speak
So search for an excuse, and someone to believe you
In foreign dressing rooms
I'm empty with the need to
Curse my enemies forever
Let's slit our wrists and burn down something beautiful
This desperation leaves me overjoyed
With fading lights that lead us past the lives that we destroyed
Curse my enemies forever
Let's slit our wrists and burn down something beautiful
This desperation is leaving me overjoyed
With fading lights that lead us past the lives that we destroyed
Please understand.
Lay rotting where I fall
I'm dead from bad intentions
Suffocated and embalmed
And now all our dreams are cashed in
You swore you wouldn't lose then lost your brain
You make a sound that feels like pain
So please understand
This isn't just goodbye
This is "I can't stand you"
Lyrics submitted by Rochila_182, edited by artistonashelf
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
of course its going to seem like it's Tom's fault, if you're only hearing Mark's "side of the story" (that is, if you think this song is directed at Tom). Both guys are going to have their own interpretations of it! Read through Tom's most recent interview (from about a month ago, i believe) with mtv.com and you can read his side of this whole thing. I don't think Tom thinks that Blink's music is meaningless or wasted or anything, I do think he feels betrayed though. Kind of like how Mark felt betrayed with BCR...except now mark seems like he's being a dickweed about the whole situation. from what i've read, Mark and Travis didn't even tell tom about Plus44, he had to hear about it from the press. that's kind of a lame thing to do to someone you consider to be your [best] friend.