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.
And I moved
As I saw him looking in through my window
His eyes were silent lies
And I moved
And I saw him standing in the doorway
His figure merely filled the space
And I moved
But I moved toward him
And I moved
And his hands felt like ice exciting
As he laid me back just like an empty dress
And I moved
But a minute after he was weeping
His tears his only truth.
And I moved
But I moved toward him
As I saw him looking in through my window
His eyes were silent lies
And I moved
And I saw him standing in the doorway
His figure merely filled the space
And I moved
But I moved toward him
And I moved
And his hands felt like ice exciting
As he laid me back just like an empty dress
And I moved
But a minute after he was weeping
His tears his only truth.
And I moved
But I moved toward him
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
And I Moved Lyrics as written by Peter Dennis Blandfor Townshend
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
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”
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Pete wrote this song for Bette Midler to sing... but her agent (or whoever it is that helps her decide which songs to sing) thought it was too smutty.
This is such a lovely song and because of that, I ignored the lyrics for years. I originally believed this was written about a physical/romantic encounter, from a woman’s perspective. Like something you might read in a romance novel. However, after learning of Mr. Townshend’s inclinations to swing both ways (as it were), this song could also be written from a man’s perspective. In either case, it is a really fine tune.
Why is it that there are so few comments regarding Pete’s songs here? The Who songs have plenty of people commenting. He is such a interesting songwriter; he deserves more discussion of his solo work
I know that Pete claims this song was for Bette Midler, but I hear a lot of references to his homosexuality throughout the whole "Empty Glass" album. I think this song is about an illicit homosexual affair ("His figure nearly the filled the space") after which the other man had horrible regrets ("But a minute later he was weeping").
I don't know if it matters in your interpretation, but its "merely filled the space" not "nearly".
I totally agree PNG. I was a naive 15 year old kid when "Empty Glass" came out, and I even caught all the homosexual references littered throughout the album. So it was no surprise when Pete 'came out'.
Now I was always under the impression that this song was about a man taking advantage of a boy...but that the boy didn't mind. And ' As he laid me back just like an empty dress' is such a great lyric...vivid imagery.
i actually dont hear any homosexualaity in that album. the song rough boys is making fun of punks and gays and how they all act and dress the same. alot the other songs on this album are very religious. if you think otherwise than your not really listening to the complexity of the lyrics
Here's something from the 'Empty Glass' entry on wikipedia for you..." Empty Glass, when compared with The Who's 1981 album Face Dances, was considered the superior album, with many critics calling it a Who album that never was. Roger Daltrey later commented that he felt let down by Townshend, and that many of the songs from the album would have worked well for The Who, among them "Rough Boys" and "Empty Glass"; Townshend countered by saying that he felt "Rough Boys" was the one song Daltrey would have wanted clarified (in terms of the song's homoerotic subtext) and toned down if he were to sing it, thus defeating its message..."<br /> <br /> Maybe you are missing the obvious lyrics...or just ignoring them. But nevertheless...'Empty Glass' is a great album.
I haven't heard this song once since 1980 as a 13 year old who very much enjoyed the Empty Glass album. So here it is 2015 and out of nowhere the lyrics "ice exciting" kept playing in my mind. I knew it was Pete Townsend but had to google the lyrics. Now I totally remember this song. It must have made quite an impression on me to lay dormant in my subconscious for 35 years! Of course now I need to listen to it.