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.
Come on Marianne
The sun sets in your eyes
I'm in love again
Come on once or twice
Wanna be your air?
Come on now, all I see
Wanna ride along
Follow all our dreams
Kaleidoscopes that fall into the sun
Gonna lay the blame on me, not anyone
Gonna write a song
Sing it to the sun
Don't tell anyone
Don't tell anyone
Oh, sweet Marianne
You're the only one I've ever loved
And I swear it on
Swear it on the moon and stars above
I wanna understand
And, I wanna be your man
I wanna be your man
Swear it on the moon and stars
I will full moon
Just a part of me
Gonna write a song and see how a woman feel
Come on get it on right into the sun
Gonna ride along and fly, gonna let it on
Oh, sweet Marianne
You're the only one I've ever loved
And I swear it on
Swear it on the moon and stars above
In my head you're the only one I've ever loved
I wanna be your man
You're the only one I've ever loved
Oh, don't you love me
Oh, don't you love me
Don't you love me
Oh, don't you love me
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Oh yeah
The sun sets in your eyes
I'm in love again
Come on once or twice
Wanna be your air?
Come on now, all I see
Wanna ride along
Follow all our dreams
Kaleidoscopes that fall into the sun
Gonna lay the blame on me, not anyone
Gonna write a song
Sing it to the sun
Don't tell anyone
Don't tell anyone
Oh, sweet Marianne
You're the only one I've ever loved
And I swear it on
Swear it on the moon and stars above
I wanna understand
And, I wanna be your man
I wanna be your man
Swear it on the moon and stars
I will full moon
Just a part of me
Gonna write a song and see how a woman feel
Come on get it on right into the sun
Gonna ride along and fly, gonna let it on
Oh, sweet Marianne
You're the only one I've ever loved
And I swear it on
Swear it on the moon and stars above
In my head you're the only one I've ever loved
I wanna be your man
You're the only one I've ever loved
Oh, don't you love me
Oh, don't you love me
Don't you love me
Oh, don't you love me
Yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Oh yeah
Lyrics submitted by ColdenScence, edited by Mellow_Harsher
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Light Up The Sky
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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”
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
American Town
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Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This begs the question. Is Marianne a real or based on a real person that Chris Martin knew? Eh, probably not.