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've come back this morning
To where I first came alive
Here within this terminal
Where the buses arrive
I was a commuter on the 804
Worked for a computer
On the 19th floor and
You came down the aisle of the bus
And you sat by my side
Shoulder up to shoulder
We shared that 9 o'clock ride
Oh my heart was screaming
As you left your seat
Following your movements
I was at your feet and
Oh... down into the terminal
Both of us smiled
So... we entered the terminal
Just as you smiled
"Won't you leave out work for today?"
You asked of me then
So I phoned in sick on the way
To the home of a friend
We were all alone from 10 a.m. till 3
Really thought the fire
Had gone out of me but
You awoke the sleep of my life
From gray into red
Made the weary wonder of Wall Street
Rise from the dead
Could have held up
Budding my entire life
But I had to get home
To the kids and the wife and so
I left for the terminal where I began
Baby no, I wouldn't have left
If I'd been half a man
So here I am this morning
Where love had asked for the dance
Here within this terminal
Where I passed on the chance
Lord I'll never find her
Though I've truly tried
Probably she's found another
Bus to ride and
I am now about to begin
The last of my days
I'm within what others
Would call a terminal phase
I myself can only say it's livin' dead
Riding to the office with
A song in my head that goes...
La da da...
And you know it grows
La da da...
To where I first came alive
Here within this terminal
Where the buses arrive
I was a commuter on the 804
Worked for a computer
On the 19th floor and
You came down the aisle of the bus
And you sat by my side
Shoulder up to shoulder
We shared that 9 o'clock ride
Oh my heart was screaming
As you left your seat
Following your movements
I was at your feet and
Oh... down into the terminal
Both of us smiled
So... we entered the terminal
Just as you smiled
"Won't you leave out work for today?"
You asked of me then
So I phoned in sick on the way
To the home of a friend
We were all alone from 10 a.m. till 3
Really thought the fire
Had gone out of me but
You awoke the sleep of my life
From gray into red
Made the weary wonder of Wall Street
Rise from the dead
Could have held up
Budding my entire life
But I had to get home
To the kids and the wife and so
I left for the terminal where I began
Baby no, I wouldn't have left
If I'd been half a man
So here I am this morning
Where love had asked for the dance
Here within this terminal
Where I passed on the chance
Lord I'll never find her
Though I've truly tried
Probably she's found another
Bus to ride and
I am now about to begin
The last of my days
I'm within what others
Would call a terminal phase
I myself can only say it's livin' dead
Riding to the office with
A song in my head that goes...
La da da...
And you know it grows
La da da...
Lyrics submitted by fromthislandofmine
Terminal Lyrics as written by Rupert Holmes
Lyrics © JORDAN - HERMAN - HOLMES PUBL, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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Great version of a great song,
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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.
Believe it or not, this song is about ERECTION.
At first i mistook this song as about a guy having an affair. However, only after careful review of the lyrics did i realize that it's really about erectile dysfunction, sexism, family, and possibly bipolar disorder.
"...We shared that 9 o'clock ride Oh my heart was screaming as you left your seat Following your movements I was at your feet and..."
-this part of the song is about the man on a bus who sat beside a lady, which was implied to be a "looker" (beautiful).
"Oh... down into the terminal both of us smiled So... we entered the terminal just as you smiled."
-This is where his fantasy begins. the entire episode on the bus is played back in his head for a second time, but this time with a different outcome: the man and the lady know each other and agree to have a "sexual encounter" by signalling each other with a smile.
"Won't you leave out work for today?" You asked of me then So I phoned in sick on the way To the home of a friend"
-in his head, the lady asked him if he could phone in sick, which he did the moment they reached the woman's house and was able to use a phone. the "friend" decribed is the lady.
"We were all alone from 10 a.m. till 3"
-both of them spent the entire day together...
"Really thought the fire had gone out of me but You awoke the sleep of my life from gray into red Made the weary wonder of Wall Street rise from the dead"
-the man probably had some erection problems, it is implied that the lady had effectively given him an erection.
"Could have held up budding my entire life"
-he could've maintained the erection for a long time.
"But I had to get home to the kids and the wife and so..."
-he could've had sex with the girl for a longer time, but he had a family to worry about.
"I left for the terminal where I began Baby no, I wouldn't have left if I'd been half a man"
-so he goes back to the terminal to catch a bus back home. He feels that he is not man enough to have chosen to spend more time with the lady instead of going home.
"So here I am this morning where love had asked for the dance Here within this terminal where I passed on the chance"
-The plot twist. The man realizes that he is back in reality where he actually passed on the chance to be with the lady, which i found ironic because the lady never really asked him. He probably thought that he had the chance to get to know the lady but he never found the guts to do so.
"Lord I'll never find her though I've truly tried Probably she's found another bus to ride and..."
-the man thinks that he will never see her again.
"I am now about to begin the last of my days I'm within what others would call a terminal phase I myself can only say it's livin' dead riding to the office with a song in my head that goes..."
-"terminal phase" may or may not mean that the man has an incurable illness, but it may mean that his erection problem really does not have a clear solution. "Last of my days" may also mean that, but i think it means that his boredom with his family is never going to end. "livin' dead" may mean that he can still use his pecker for urinating, but definitely he cannot have an erection for sexual purposes. his penis is "Livin'" but really "Dead".
"I've come back this morning to where I first came alive" may mean that he felt an erection by just sitting shoulder to shoulder with the lady.
Hence... ERECTION.