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.
Messages from broken bottles fall
Black sandy beaches
Ink conveying across the page now run from morning dew
Hands which chance upon it lead to eyes that strain to read
Hearts that pound from love long over do
Lips which press together, stifle, rhythmic, heavy breaths
Oh how she smiles from vicarious love from the one he writes about
She must have been so glad for him to throw it out
Further steps lead to yet another broken bottle
Again the words contain have bled the page
Whose tears were these which remit ink
From who they bore to make this streak
Where they his by chance from telling her?
Or hers by chance from reading it?
They could have been collective
They could have been from someone else
Why don’t we see what's at the bottom
Why don’t we see what comes next
Oh how she cries from vicarious pain from the one he writes about
Oh she must have been so sad for him to throw her out
Lets just say, she, she is better
Better off somehow
Lets just say, she, she has never been happier then she is now
We couldn’t fake it so why even try?
Lets just say, she, she is better, better off somehow
Lets just say, she, she has never been happier then she is now
Lets just say, she, she is better, better off somehow
Lets just say, she, she has never been happier
Happier then she is now
Black sandy beaches
Ink conveying across the page now run from morning dew
Hands which chance upon it lead to eyes that strain to read
Hearts that pound from love long over do
Lips which press together, stifle, rhythmic, heavy breaths
Oh how she smiles from vicarious love from the one he writes about
She must have been so glad for him to throw it out
Further steps lead to yet another broken bottle
Again the words contain have bled the page
Whose tears were these which remit ink
From who they bore to make this streak
Where they his by chance from telling her?
Or hers by chance from reading it?
They could have been collective
They could have been from someone else
Why don’t we see what's at the bottom
Why don’t we see what comes next
Oh how she cries from vicarious pain from the one he writes about
Oh she must have been so sad for him to throw her out
Lets just say, she, she is better
Better off somehow
Lets just say, she, she has never been happier then she is now
We couldn’t fake it so why even try?
Lets just say, she, she is better, better off somehow
Lets just say, she, she has never been happier then she is now
Lets just say, she, she is better, better off somehow
Lets just say, she, she has never been happier
Happier then she is now
Lyrics submitted by sonoftheright
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The beach and bottles probably aren't literal. They just represent how the letters were thrown out and later turned up and were found by some unknown girl.
In the beginning, the girl who finds the letters assumes that the dear hunter decided not to break up with Ms. Leading and threw the letters away, which is why "Oh how she smiles from vicarious love from the one he writes about She must have been so glad for him to throw it out".
Later, she finds the second letter which is streaked with tears and realizes that Ms. Leading did receive the letters. She wonders whether the tears were hers from reading or his from writing.
At the end of the song, she feels bad for Ms. Leading, so she tries to convince herself that Ms. Leading is better off. However, she admits that that seems unlikely.
Also, since I don't think anyone mentioned it, the letters she is reading are from the previous song "Dear Ms. Leading".