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.
So much going on these days
Forget about instinct, it's not what pays
Pleasure, up and down my smile
A carton of eggs think, it's all worthwhile
Tell me spirit, what has not been done?
I'll rush out and do it, or are we doing it now?
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
Fissure is the thrill of the day
Forget about feeling, that's not what pays
But you know, all of this can change
Remember the promise as a kid you made
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
We are the innovators, they are the imitators
C'mon, hey, don't you know how we started
We forgot about love, but weren't brokenhearted
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
Ooh, ooh
Ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ahaha, yeah, yeah, yeah
Forget about instinct, it's not what pays
Pleasure, up and down my smile
A carton of eggs think, it's all worthwhile
Tell me spirit, what has not been done?
I'll rush out and do it, or are we doing it now?
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
Fissure is the thrill of the day
Forget about feeling, that's not what pays
But you know, all of this can change
Remember the promise as a kid you made
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
We are the innovators, they are the imitators
C'mon, hey, don't you know how we started
We forgot about love, but weren't brokenhearted
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
Ah, ooh, ah, ah, aha
Aha, ooh, ah, ah
Ooh, ooh
Ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ahaha, yeah, yeah, yeah
Lyrics submitted by getaccused
Wordless Chorus Lyrics as written by James Olliges Jr
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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"
Blue
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“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
"A carton of eggs think It's all worthwhile"
"Fissure"- a fancy way of saying "smile"?
He might be saying dont join the ranks of the cutthroats, you should revert back to childlike imagination because it is innovating and creative.
I really like the harmonizing at the end, he sounds like a real soul singer, it reminds me of Thriller-era Michael Jackson.
fissure I think refers to the divisive nature of culture. I really think ur on to somwthing.
also I think the carton of eggs thinks...ect refers to uninformed idiots all have opinions
It's "I got no instinct, it's all worthwhile". <br /> The lyric websites have it all wrong. <br /> Just listen to the song, it's pretty clear. <br /> <br /> It's fantastic to be there at a concert when they sing "We are..." and the whole crowd joins in with :...the innovaters, they are the imitators".
haha i agree with svtdave!
I think it's about getting caught up in all the stresses of life and forgetting about important things like love and happiness and things that matter. maybe? i dunno. But first comment sweeet.
Perhaps it is pretentious to suggest that the significance of the song to me is the same as the meaning, but it's just screaming about to me. Also, these lyrics are so Radiohead-OK Computer influenced its unbearable to atleast credit them as an influence.
The significance is that we are living life just as millions before us have -- how can we define our lives when so many people have done what we have done.
Secondly, the theme behind this is that the pleasures of life as fleeting from the majority of societies' view due to the rigors expected from us in our daily jobs. There isn't time to feel or strive towards things not already prepared -- it is unproductive and that goes against what we are taught.
After that, it ends on a lighter note reminding us of that promise me made as a kid to achieve some amazing goal that now seems unfeasible because life keeps telling us to follow the straight, clean path. Also, the song mentions that "We are the innovators, they are the imitators" to show that we have the ability to escape the sociological concepts instilled -- we have the ability to still create, influence, and innovate.
Everybody is looking too hard into this one. The lyrics are about the thoughts he's having while trying to write a song. It's a song about songwriting. Go back and read the lyrics and it will all make sense. Also, the song is obviously incomplete; there's no chorus. Why write a melodic chorus about the "big picture" thoughts he's having towards his own personal views as a songwriter. A chorus would be ridiculous. What a truly amazing man that Yim Yames!
It's fairly self-explanitory it is about looking at little things in life and not getting "caught up in stress".
I think the keyboard is awsome in this song and the vocals are amazing considering such few words streched out. I think this is a great band
One of my favourite songs by My Morning Jacket. The beat in the beginning just grabs you, then when the words come, you've gotten mesmerized. I really liked the "wordless chorus." Here is a legendary quote: "We are the innovators, they are the imitators."
my friend sent me this song with the wrong label. for the longest time i thought the title was Dondante. hrm.
one of the best songs to come out in the last couple years.
i think like this chorus the best..." ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh oooooooooh aahhhh ooooooooooooooooooooooo"
We are the innovators They are the imitators
fuck man thats some good shit