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.
Face down with the LA curbside endings
And the ones in zeros.
Downtown was the perfect place to hide.
The first star that I saw last night was a headlight
Of a man-made sky, but man-made never made our dreams collide,
Collide.
Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain,
We're awakening
Here we are now with our desperate youth and the pain,
We're awakening
Maybe it's called ambition, you've been talking in your sleep
About a dream, we're awakening
Last week saw me living for nothing but deadlines,
With my dead beat sky but, this town doesn't look the same tonight
These dreams started singing to me out of nowhere
And in all my life I don't know if I've ever felt so alive,
Alive
Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain,
We're awakening
Here we are now with our desperate youth and the pain,
We're awakening
Maybe it's called ambition, you've been talking in your sleep
About a dream, we're awakening
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to know that my heart's still beating
It's beating,
I'm bleeding
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to live like I know what I'm leaving
I want to know that my heart's still beating,
It's beating, it's beating, it's beating,
I'm bleeding
Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain,
We're awakening
Here we are now with our desperate youth and the pain,
We're awakening
Maybe it's called ambition, you've been talk-talking in your sleep
About a dream, we're awakening dream, we're awakening, yeah
And the ones in zeros.
Downtown was the perfect place to hide.
The first star that I saw last night was a headlight
Of a man-made sky, but man-made never made our dreams collide,
Collide.
Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain,
We're awakening
Here we are now with our desperate youth and the pain,
We're awakening
Maybe it's called ambition, you've been talking in your sleep
About a dream, we're awakening
Last week saw me living for nothing but deadlines,
With my dead beat sky but, this town doesn't look the same tonight
These dreams started singing to me out of nowhere
And in all my life I don't know if I've ever felt so alive,
Alive
Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain,
We're awakening
Here we are now with our desperate youth and the pain,
We're awakening
Maybe it's called ambition, you've been talking in your sleep
About a dream, we're awakening
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to know that my heart's still beating
It's beating,
I'm bleeding
I want to wake up kicking and screaming
I want to live like I know what I'm leaving
I want to know that my heart's still beating,
It's beating, it's beating, it's beating,
I'm bleeding
Here we are now with the falling sky and the rain,
We're awakening
Here we are now with our desperate youth and the pain,
We're awakening
Maybe it's called ambition, you've been talk-talking in your sleep
About a dream, we're awakening dream, we're awakening, yeah
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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.
Holiday
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Bee Gees
@[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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
I get kind of a sense of desperation and desire from this song. Like the singer is fully aware of the shallow and meaningless nature of our world, and he wants more than anything to get away, to break out. He knows that God grants real life and joy, and he has gotten tastes of it before but is not quite there. More than anything, he wants to claw his way out of the frozen sleep of our world and into the wild, ruddy life he can feel just a hair breadth away. Hence the happy, excited tone of these lines:
I want to wake up kicking and screaming I want to wake up kicking and screaming I want to know that my heart's still beating It's beating, I'm bleeding I want to wake up kicking and screaming (I want to wake up) I want to live like I know the meaning (I want to wake up) I want to know that my heart's still beating (I want to wake up) It's beating, it's beating It's beating, I'm bleeding
A beating heart is associated with life and also with adrenaline and excitement. He's coming to life, and his heart is beating again. Bleeding and blood are also associated with this. You don't bleed when you're dead. Furthermore, when you are bleeding you usually have been doing something active and thrilling, maybe something a little bit dangerous. Something that you do not usually do, sort of the antithesis to a dull and pointless existence. While bleeding also can have negative connotations, it seems like it is supposed to represent coming alive. "Kicking and screaming" probably shows both his desperation to break out and the frenzied, concentrated life just out of his reach. It might also be saying that you don't just wake up without fighting for it. Just like you don't attain eternal life without an effort.
My take on it, at least. I love this song--in addition to the wonderful tune, it depicts Christianity and eternal life as the exhilarating, lively blessings they truly are, instead of the dull and pastel sort of things people all too often think of them as.