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.
Presenting modern moonlight just as advertised
Coke and Pepsi finally found a compromise
How can they complain that we're all fucked up kids
When they keep on changing who our mother is?
Like it all you want it's fruitless
Night is in the way of progress
Retinas are bleeding for the enterprise
Surgically wired into paradise
Yesterday I dropped in at the MKB
Everyone was messaging like it was going out of style
(It was just the cynic in me)
God, I love communicating!
I just hate the shit we're missing
Everybody join in the magnificence
Yes! everything is absolutely making sense
Every time you turn around your soul gets sold
To the highest bidder
Then they turn around and merger and they merger
And the merger and they murder and they murder
The one who murders most will take it all
Fight it all you want it's useless
Night is in the way of progress
We're gonna take your cities one by one
Catch your cables cut your cords and spoil all your fun
We're gonna make your lite a living hell
Cause stripped of your equipment you'll be forced to face yourself
Wire cutters of the world
You know what to use it for
Spread the word to all the tightrope walker boys and girls
Brace yourself for miracles
You're in for a nasty shock
When the war is over
You can read the paper
Coke and Pepsi finally found a compromise
How can they complain that we're all fucked up kids
When they keep on changing who our mother is?
Like it all you want it's fruitless
Night is in the way of progress
Retinas are bleeding for the enterprise
Surgically wired into paradise
Yesterday I dropped in at the MKB
Everyone was messaging like it was going out of style
(It was just the cynic in me)
God, I love communicating!
I just hate the shit we're missing
Everybody join in the magnificence
Yes! everything is absolutely making sense
Every time you turn around your soul gets sold
To the highest bidder
Then they turn around and merger and they merger
And the merger and they murder and they murder
The one who murders most will take it all
Fight it all you want it's useless
Night is in the way of progress
We're gonna take your cities one by one
Catch your cables cut your cords and spoil all your fun
We're gonna make your lite a living hell
Cause stripped of your equipment you'll be forced to face yourself
Wire cutters of the world
You know what to use it for
Spread the word to all the tightrope walker boys and girls
Brace yourself for miracles
You're in for a nasty shock
When the war is over
You can read the paper
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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It's about how we use technology to avoid facing real life. We don't deal with things face to face anymore. We hide behind emails and instant messaging. How can they tell us (the youth of America) we're all fucked up when all of this is going on around us? If we cut off everyone's resources (cells, pagers, computers, etc.) all they can do is look at themselves and see how lost they are. Cool song. I like the fast paced Girl Anachronism kind of intensity in it.
well, i see mordern moonlight - the title as computer light being the moonlight of today because everyone sits on them ll night. hahah just a thought. And the song is about technology ruining the world i supose, i love the "like it all you want its fruitless...." parts, amazing! The ending is also great, cutting off all the computers! read the paper"!!!! haha i love being brought up on computer communication.
The song is about technology . . . computers and internet mostly. We communicate online and miss out on life. People think they are communicating, but it's not the same as one-on-one, in person talking. We create false personas when we talk online . . . people talk to strangers and cover up their flaws. They lose who they are.
"cos stripped of your equipment you’ll be forced to face yourself…"
I like the last line of the song:
"when the war is over you can read the paper"
It shows how much the times are changing because of the internet. People get their news online now. The internet is used to such an extreme that people don't sit down in the morning with a cup of coffee and the morning paper anymore. Instead they log on to a computer for their news.
The part about selling souls to the highest bidder reminds me of people selling everything on ebay . . . I've seen human souls up for sale there before.
just heard this at a friends place....pretty freakin awesome another song about technology getting in the way... need to hear it some more but this album is gonna rock
Well I’m not saying that this is what the song means. Thou this is what it means to me. Ok Modern moonlight it’s like saying modern times in America shining a upon us. America is full of big corporations. . Where it says in the song everybody join in the magnificence! yes! everything is absolutely making sense…every time you turn around your soul gets sold to the highest bidder then they turn around and merger and they merger and the merger and they murder and they murder and the one who murders most will take it all…. She waking up and realizing how fuck up this world is. And business coming together, bank and blood sucking insurances working hand and hand. They want one control and selling everything they touch even are human souls. That’s why there’s nothing here that’s not own by the government they all murder this world. But we do nothing , how can anyone fight when they have no power or insurances it’s useless it says in the song “(fight it all you want it’s useless night is in the way of progress)”. Most of the song talks about wires, computers, and cables. This is going to take some explain, we are all brain wash in someway. Being brain wash you’re like a robot someone telling you what to do. I guess being brain by TV and news we don’t care what the government dose. At the end of the song cutting away from the brain wash and everyone stand up to government and taking it down.
Now... how many kids are going to go around listening to this song on their iPods?
What do you listen to it on, your record player?<br /> No offense, but I don't think the song is about kids using iPods. I think it's more about "technology getting in the way" like anthraxMonkey said.<br />
Wow, I agree with Kibou. Definitely on track. "Retinas are bleeding for the enterprise"- I love this line, it's clever. The whole song is.
this song is about people being lazy and apathic,doing nothing for anyone but themselves.they'd rather had a hair receiding then addopt a homeless kid or doing something more usefull for both them and the other...Anyway everibody is more interested in today's clelebreties gossip then what's going on on Kosovo or in Somalia.All of the entartainment is here for that amussing us to oblivion,making easy on us and making us less conscious about all the bad things going on around us.will be ever a wirecutter be born?Amanda sais "wirecutters of the world you know what to do"but there are no wirecutters only loud thinkers like herself.this song is somehow close to the Einstein's theory of relativity...few on us on the earth will understand it!and at the end you can read the paper!
Given the stereotypes associated with the punk cabaret, it is interesting to me that this seems to be a very conservative song that longs for the good old days and serious questions whether all this technology, particularly new ways of communicating, is necessarily good for society, even though it is faster. I also think there is idea to the effect that our generation has lost any sense of identity is expressed in this song... if anyone has read Alan Watts, this seems to parallel his thoughts very nicely.
One question: does anyone know what is the MKB is?
i agree with the main ideas in the above comments.. i was always curious what the mkb was, too. i always assumed it was a corporation or some sort. i've just googled it, & it's not extremely clear. in the usa, the mkb is a new & used car dealership in san diego. in the netherlands, the mkb associates with entrepreneurs. according to the website, it 'negotiates & consults with governments, social partners & others', to 'protect entrepreneurs' interests'. i guess the latter would relate more to the technology and capitalist themes in the songs. but it could also be an abbreviations for something, a little amanda mystery put in. i wouldn't have a clue what it could stand for, though.