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.
Was born and raised in the South
In Suicide Town
I was only fifteen
When it burned to the ground
I tore up all my memories
By the side of the road
With a tip of a needle
I carved my story in stone
When you gonna come for me, Lord?
When you gonna come for me?
Cause I've been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
It's the least that you could do
I was not much of a poet
Guess I was missing the anguish
Not a very good lover
Could never capture the language
I was an adequate painter
But it just left me tired
Did a stint as a hit man
In those days at least I was inspired
Oh, but when you gonna come for me, Lord?
When you gonna come for me?
Cause I've been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
It's the least that you could do
I hooked up a hick down in the church
I took a walk down Big Dream Boulevard
With all the sand that gets into this world
We should all be motherfucking pearls
When you gonna come for me, Lord?
When you gonna come for me?
Cause I've been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
It's the least that you could do
I'm never gonna be one of God's favorites
Never gonna cheerlead with the angels
Tried to find a church that I could walk in
They tried to nail me on original sin
Oh, when you gonna come for me, Lord?
When you gonna come for me?
I've been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
Been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
It's the least that you could do
The least that you could do
In Suicide Town
I was only fifteen
When it burned to the ground
I tore up all my memories
By the side of the road
With a tip of a needle
I carved my story in stone
When you gonna come for me, Lord?
When you gonna come for me?
Cause I've been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
It's the least that you could do
I was not much of a poet
Guess I was missing the anguish
Not a very good lover
Could never capture the language
I was an adequate painter
But it just left me tired
Did a stint as a hit man
In those days at least I was inspired
Oh, but when you gonna come for me, Lord?
When you gonna come for me?
Cause I've been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
It's the least that you could do
I hooked up a hick down in the church
I took a walk down Big Dream Boulevard
With all the sand that gets into this world
We should all be motherfucking pearls
When you gonna come for me, Lord?
When you gonna come for me?
Cause I've been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
It's the least that you could do
I'm never gonna be one of God's favorites
Never gonna cheerlead with the angels
Tried to find a church that I could walk in
They tried to nail me on original sin
Oh, when you gonna come for me, Lord?
When you gonna come for me?
I've been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
Been expecting you forever
Waiting here for you
Will you send a little grace?
It's the least that you could do
It's the least that you could do
The least that you could do
Lyrics submitted by delial
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
This is a really interesting song - it's upbeat, and yet it addresses some pretty weighty issues. From what I gather, it seems to be about the singer's questions about faith and religion. The chorus is clearly a direct question to God as to where He is when the singer has been looking for Him for so long.
She expresses her dissatisfaction with organized religion, saying that even when she tried to use religion as a way to get to God, they tried to make her feel bad about herself ("they tried to nail me on Original Sin"). This is clearly an implication of Christianity, suggesting that those who seek answers may be turned off by the suggestion that they are inherently bad.
Still, this song has what I consider to be one of Antje's funniest lines:
"With all the sand that gets inside this world // We should all be motherfucking pearls"
Here she refers laughingly to all the knocks and hard times that everyone faces as part of their life, and likens it to the process of an oyster making a pearl. Oysters produce pearls because an irritant (sand) enters into their shell and, over time, builds up layers which can (under the right conditions) become a pearl. Antje, then, suggests that there is so much bad stuff that happens in our world, that the world should be absolutely full of pearls. It's a wry take on the issue of there being Evil in the world, and whether there is too much evil for a reasonable person to believe in God.
What a great song for a freethinker!
@MatC What a wonderful comment by MatC. I would only add to it a story of something Antje told at a recent concert right before singing this song. She said something to the effect that she was raised by parents who were radical atheists. She said (jokingly, I gathered) that her parents were so militant about their atheism that they used to drive around looking for zoning violations and then complain so they could get churches to move their signs farther from the road. She said, in turn, though she now herself his an atheist, she is only a moderate atheist. Then she sang, Pearls. What a breathtaking song.