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.
I went down to the place where I knew she lay waiting
Under the marble and the snow
I said, Mother I'm frightened, the thunder and the lightning
I'll never come through this alone
She said, I'll be with you, my shawl wrapped around you
My hand on your head when you go
And the night came on, it was very calm
I wanted the night to go on and on
But she said, go back, go back to the world
We were fighting in Egypt when they signed this agreement
That nobody else had to die
There was this terrible sound, my father went down
With a terrible wound in his side
He said, try to go on, take my books, take my gun
Remember, my son, how they lied
And the night comes on, it's very calm
I'd like to pretend that my father was wrong
But you don't want to lie, not to the young
We were locked in this kitchen, I took to religion
And I wondered how long she would stay
I needed so much to have nothing to touch
I've always been greedy that way
But my son and my daughter climbed out of the water
Crying, Papa, you promised to play
And they lead me away to the great surprise
It's Papa, don't peek, Papa, cover your eyes
And they hide, they hide in the world
Now I look for her always, I'm lost in this calling
I'm tied to the threads of some prayer
Saying when will she summon me, when will she come to me
What must I do to prepare?
When she bends to my longing like a willow, like a fountain
She stands in the luminous air
And the night comes on, it's very calm
I lie in her arms and says when I'm gone
I'll be yours, yours for a song
Now the crickets are singing, the vesper bells ringing
The cat's curled asleep in his chair
I'll go down to Bill's Bar, I can make it that far
And I'll see if my friends are still there
Yes, and here's to the few, who forgive what you do
And the fewer who don't even care
And the night comes on, it's very calm
I want to cross over, I want to go home
But she says, Go back, go back to the world
Under the marble and the snow
I said, Mother I'm frightened, the thunder and the lightning
I'll never come through this alone
She said, I'll be with you, my shawl wrapped around you
My hand on your head when you go
And the night came on, it was very calm
I wanted the night to go on and on
But she said, go back, go back to the world
We were fighting in Egypt when they signed this agreement
That nobody else had to die
There was this terrible sound, my father went down
With a terrible wound in his side
He said, try to go on, take my books, take my gun
Remember, my son, how they lied
And the night comes on, it's very calm
I'd like to pretend that my father was wrong
But you don't want to lie, not to the young
We were locked in this kitchen, I took to religion
And I wondered how long she would stay
I needed so much to have nothing to touch
I've always been greedy that way
But my son and my daughter climbed out of the water
Crying, Papa, you promised to play
And they lead me away to the great surprise
It's Papa, don't peek, Papa, cover your eyes
And they hide, they hide in the world
Now I look for her always, I'm lost in this calling
I'm tied to the threads of some prayer
Saying when will she summon me, when will she come to me
What must I do to prepare?
When she bends to my longing like a willow, like a fountain
She stands in the luminous air
And the night comes on, it's very calm
I lie in her arms and says when I'm gone
I'll be yours, yours for a song
Now the crickets are singing, the vesper bells ringing
The cat's curled asleep in his chair
I'll go down to Bill's Bar, I can make it that far
And I'll see if my friends are still there
Yes, and here's to the few, who forgive what you do
And the fewer who don't even care
And the night comes on, it's very calm
I want to cross over, I want to go home
But she says, Go back, go back to the world
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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"
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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.
This song is a journey of loss in the singer's life...
Now the crickets are singing The vesper bells ringing The cat's curled asleep in his chair I'll go down to Bill's Bar (he's pretty wasted in this life, but he can make it to the corner bar) I can make it that far And I'll see if my friends are still there Yes, and here's to the few Who forgive what you do And the fewer who don't even care (a comment on the connections of the other alcoholics / friends in the bar... these are all that's left to hime now in this stage of his life) ...but his life-long connection to his Mom, who has been there with him through it all in the Spirit world... "I want to cross over, I want to go home" to her, to God... But she says, "Go Back, go back to the world" ...You're not done on this journey...
For me, he's singing about a lot of things - he's brilliant at writing in layers; listening to his music is like peeling an onion. I hear references to Nazi Germany, to sex, to the Yom Kippur war, to sadness and grief, to the pain of loss, to religion, and even - ultimately - to hope. And I always feel there's more to be heard. I'm not sure I'll ever get enough of this song.
I can't believe nobody has commented on this song. It's been my most recent obsession with Cohen, and particularly that line that he needed so much to have nothing to touch, which is really a type of greed, an envy for defying gravity. A greed for something that is nothing. Great stuff. Now somebody else write something
I reckon the second verse ("We were fighting in Egypt..".) is a reference to the Yom Kippur war, specifically the ceasefire imposed by UN resolution 338, which was broken by the Egyptian armed forces. I know Cohan toured and played shows for Israeli soldiers during the war. Stands to reason.
In any case, it's a very good song. The last two lines really get to me sometimes. It seems to me as being about dealing with the world, with reality, and with growing up and aging. I'd love to read other interpretations, though.
it sounds like he is depressed and wants to die but finds reasons to continue living it reminds me of a robert frost poem "stopping by the woods on a snowy evening"
first time I ever heard this song I was reminded of Frost's "Stopping by woods" also. I certainly get the impression that death, the calm night, is appealing to Cohen but he is moved to stay in the world.
There is lots of imagery in here which I would shy away from trying to disect too much. I get the feeling from the verse about the children that he is speaking of being drawn to death but thoughts of his love and duty to his children keep him. But then his children grow and move out to the world where in a way they are lost to him, so still the calm night calls him.
The first verse sounds like the singer is visiting his mothers grave. He is thinking about suicide, but his mother reminds him that it is wrong. In the second verse his father encorages him to choose life. By the third verse his children have made an apperance making his thoughts of suicide appear to be selfish, which of course it is. In the final verse the mood of the song changes. The melody becomes brighter. Our hero wanders down to the bar and seems to be enjoying life. He's taken to heart the advice given to him by his mother. This is a great song. I love how Leonard's voice had deepened on this album.
love this song....i don't know why im drawn to depressing songs but i just seem to be..anyway this song is about suicide imo...i like it though..there is a bit of hope at the end..but not too much!!!!
The song is obviously about suicide, or suicidal thoughts. The first verse is about him visiting his mother's grave and her mother preventing him from committing suicide. The second verse is about his father, and him preventing him from committing suicide. The third verse is about his children preventing himself from committing suicide. The fourth verse is about his wife preventing him from suicide. And the fifth verse is he himself preventing himself from suicide, and the realization of gifts of life.
Men of previous generations did call their wives "Mother", so it's a little ambiguous. But I suppose he probably does mean his mother.
You're right but you have to go back about one more generation for that to be the case.