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.
Now that everybody's worn the expression
"Not that you wanted to use,"
It seems untrue now...
But the funniest thing is
It fits you now
To a perfect T...
You may never understand this affliction,
Although you feel the effects.
You feel bruised now, body and mind
You feel used now, almost all of the time
Been abused
Abused
Abused
Sunday morning in the aisle with my brother:
Watching the man in black tell the youths how
They're supposed to behave, but tell the truth now:
You don't know what you're saying,
We've been abused
Abused
Abused
Abused
Abused
Abused
Abused
Other people see some evil intention,
But the closer you get,
The more you get confused how...
Why does everyone know?
Been abused now;
Didn't want it to show...
"Not that you wanted to use,"
It seems untrue now...
But the funniest thing is
It fits you now
To a perfect T...
You may never understand this affliction,
Although you feel the effects.
You feel bruised now, body and mind
You feel used now, almost all of the time
Been abused
Abused
Abused
Sunday morning in the aisle with my brother:
Watching the man in black tell the youths how
They're supposed to behave, but tell the truth now:
You don't know what you're saying,
We've been abused
Abused
Abused
Abused
Abused
Abused
Abused
Other people see some evil intention,
But the closer you get,
The more you get confused how...
Why does everyone know?
Been abused now;
Didn't want it to show...
Lyrics submitted by RomanCandle, edited by dogcity, Jate
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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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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"
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
genius genius this song means so much to me. i feel he was battling all different types of abuse through out his whole life and this is what the song is about. that for everyone is abused in some way but within this song it seems like he was abused then it was self abuse. this song always gets to me. there is something about the last line that makes the song so much more powerful. "Why does everyone know Been abused now Didn't want it to show" we try through out all of our lives to be normal and show that we are confident human beings and dont want to show our true selves. that line is s realization of himself and his existence and how he cant hide who he is because it only eats him up inside.
Elliott is unappreciated.. I believe that people misinterpret his message, but this is a clear cut song and it is hauntingly sad. The music in itself is ingenious, but the lyrics are impeccable. This song is too personal and I can understand his family and Elliott not wanting anyone to hear it. Its a shame that he never got to finish it.
"other people see some evil intention but the closer you get, the more you get confused how, why does everyone know been abused now, didn't want it to show"
He begins to explain that people think he has evil intentions in the things he does, like coming off as abused and calling out the church for being abusive. Then he starts to say that if you get to know him you'll be confused, meaning that you will have a change of heart and question your previous assumption that he has evil intentions for doing the things he does. However whats beautiful about this stanza is that he cuts off his explanation and says "why does everyone know" which hits me as if he is saying why do I have to explain myself to people.
The lines
Other people see some evil intention But the closer you get The more you get confused how Why does everyone know Been abused now Didn't want it to show
have always felt more to me like everyone else's response is to call his abuser evil, but because Elliott knows him he finds it harder to see it as such a black and white issue. Maybe his abuser was abused, too, or something like that - it wouldn't excuse it, but it makes it harder to hate him.
I think it's amazing how he's written this song where he sings overtly about having been abused, to the point of even naming his song "Abused", and then in the last lines he says: "Why does everyone know; Been abused now; Didn't want it to show".
It's like it's two parts of him at war. One part wants to keep everything to himself, to be private, to hide the pain that's inside and what has happened to him. The other part thinks there's no point to making music that isn't true (heard a quote where he said this once), and maybe needs to write his history in order to deal with it, so he tells us all these intimate details of what has happened to him. And not just with this song; the abuse theme is in "Roman Candle", "Waltz #2", "Some Song", "No Name #4" and probably a whole bunch more I can't think of right now.
And then he denies that his songs come from personal stories. But of course they do, and he knows we know it. Two sides at war again.
very good job transcribing this (whoever did). the music elliott was making in the last days really was something else. if that double album had ever been finished, i think we would have literally one of the great albums of all time.
an absolutely beautiful song. i think the idea of being abused could be taken literally or not. if it is, it seems somewhat self-indulgent on the writer´s part. having said that he had a penchant for sweet pop songs; and with its heavy overdriven guitar it is a brilliant angst-rock anti-anthem.<br /> <br /> i have just listened to this song for the first time in a year. it reminds me of somewhere i was, spending winter days in my dressing gown, k´d up in the day and drinking GBL to get to sleep whilst mired in crazy piles of papers and foreign journals, on the cusp of something awful and extraordinary. and a girl´s voice on the phone who i don´t see anymore.
made many changes that sound more correct to me:
now that everybody's worn the expression not that you wanted to use it seems untrue now but the funniest thing is it fits you now to a perfect tee
you may never understand this affliction although you feel the affects you feel bruised now, body and mind you feel used now, almost all of the time been abused abused abused
sunday morning in the aisle with my brother watching the men in black tell the youths how you're supposed to behave, and tell the truth now you don't know what you're sayin' we've been abused abused abused abused abused abused abused
other people see some evil intention but the closer you get, the more you get confused how, why does everyone know been abused now, didn't want it to show
I'm pretty sure it's:<br /> <br /> now that everybody's worn the expression<br /> not that you wanted to use<br /> it seems untrue now<br /> but the funniest thing is<br /> it fits you now<br /> to a perfect beat*
this is easily one of the most beautiful songs i have ever heard. and one of the saddest. god, this fucking melody.
brilliant song, one of my very favorites
BRILLLIANT!!! EXCELLENT!!! STUPENDICE!!! AS ALWAYS!!! I think it's evident what this song is about! I like how he says "the closer you get the more you get confused." b/c people that have been abused block it out all of their lives 'cause it's so bad, who'd want to remember!? I don't remember that much abuse happening to me, but I don't really remember my childhood....at all...... and when i do, it seems like a lie. "you don't know what you're saying you've been abused!" if you don't have evidence (you can't remember, nobody will believe. then not take you seriously!" what is "to a perfect tee?" is that just some expression!?