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.
You're looking
For me in the demonstration
Well I have already lost patience
You might find me sitting by
On the pavement
Maybe not cause I have shrunk
I fell in love with a punk
And she took my breath
Now there's nothing left
But love enough to feed a family
I just want to feed Emily
With lukewarm English beer
And vegan pancakes
I saw her in the anti-war demonstration
Was a sweet sensation of love
When I was sixteen
I hung out with the kids who lacked it
And the punks who were born and let her jacket
The kind of punks that place themselves in brackets
She was one of them back then
She was somebody's girlfriend
And I was no one
I had nothing
And the skies were clear blue skies
And her eyes were clear blue eyes
And her thighs were about the same size as mine
And we were walking
In the anti-war demonstration
Was a sweet sensation of love
Of love
It was a sweet sensation of love
For me in the demonstration
Well I have already lost patience
You might find me sitting by
On the pavement
Maybe not cause I have shrunk
I fell in love with a punk
And she took my breath
Now there's nothing left
But love enough to feed a family
I just want to feed Emily
With lukewarm English beer
And vegan pancakes
I saw her in the anti-war demonstration
Was a sweet sensation of love
When I was sixteen
I hung out with the kids who lacked it
And the punks who were born and let her jacket
The kind of punks that place themselves in brackets
She was one of them back then
She was somebody's girlfriend
And I was no one
I had nothing
And the skies were clear blue skies
And her eyes were clear blue eyes
And her thighs were about the same size as mine
And we were walking
In the anti-war demonstration
Was a sweet sensation of love
Of love
It was a sweet sensation of love
Lyrics submitted by hapal lover
I Saw Her in the Anti-War Demonstration Lyrics as written by Jens Martin Lekman
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The kind of punks that were born in leather jackets
not "and the punks who were born and let her jacket" what the hell does that mean?
Anyway... great song. Jens Lekman is good and from Gothenburg, as me :)
it should be "were born in leather jackets," instead of "were born and let her jacket."
i agree...it should be "were born in leather jacket" Jens Pronounce this clearly. anyway..i really can't understand the meaning of this song. "You're looking." who is 'you'? i know 'me' refers to jens himself, and emily is the punk girl? right?
i have the feeling that the song goes backward. he starts in the end of the relationship (when he has lost his patience with the anti-war stuff) and start when he was part of the gang, she was with someone else and her thighs were about the same size as his.
ah! and the one "looking" will be his new girlfriend
I think at the beginning Jens is with this girl (the you in "you're looking..") but the relationship is coming to an end and he wants out ("i have already lost patience"). Then, at the demonstration, he sees this girl from his youth (emily) who he once loved but "back then she was somebody's girlfriend" and he was "no one" to her. And when he sees her again it's the "sweet sensation of love" because suddenly he's 16 again and those feelings come rushing back.
Wether or not he actually get together with Emily I have no idea, and I don't think it's necessarily important either. In my opinion it's a song about idolizing and adoring someone from afar, and maybe that's exactly what he's doing that time at the demonstration as well, and nothing really changed over the years.