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.
Think of this heart as an old accident
A hardened hit and run
Looking ahead, but just a little scared
To keep all eyes on the road
Oh, can you be sure?
Will this be some good thing?
Lucky stars to reckon appear again and again
Can you believe all that has brought you here
You say, "Come on, baby, let's go ahead and live"
Well, who ever knows if love's a sleight of hand
Will it hold up to the light
And do you ever stop unravelling a happy end
With a mind still wound up from a fight?
Can it be real?
Will it be some good thing
Weathering the fortunes
What those stars are gonna bring
Will it stay true
Will we both see the whole thing through?
You say, "Come on, baby, let's go ahead and live"
Bird on a wire or heart in your hand
Looking for a place to find some rest
If you batten it down it's not living at all
Leaving's just a different kind of death
Could you believe?
Will it be some good thing
A place to lay your head down
And the will to look again
Could it be true
Will we both see the whole thing true
You say, "Come on, baby, let's go ahead
Come on, baby, let's go ahead
Come on, baby, let's go ahead and live"
A hardened hit and run
Looking ahead, but just a little scared
To keep all eyes on the road
Oh, can you be sure?
Will this be some good thing?
Lucky stars to reckon appear again and again
Can you believe all that has brought you here
You say, "Come on, baby, let's go ahead and live"
Well, who ever knows if love's a sleight of hand
Will it hold up to the light
And do you ever stop unravelling a happy end
With a mind still wound up from a fight?
Can it be real?
Will it be some good thing
Weathering the fortunes
What those stars are gonna bring
Will it stay true
Will we both see the whole thing through?
You say, "Come on, baby, let's go ahead and live"
Bird on a wire or heart in your hand
Looking for a place to find some rest
If you batten it down it's not living at all
Leaving's just a different kind of death
Could you believe?
Will it be some good thing
A place to lay your head down
And the will to look again
Could it be true
Will we both see the whole thing true
You say, "Come on, baby, let's go ahead
Come on, baby, let's go ahead
Come on, baby, let's go ahead and live"
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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.”
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