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.
Well you're the closest thing, I have, to bring up in a conversation
About love that didn't last, but I could never call you mine
Cause I could never call myself yours, and if we were really meant to be
Well then we'd justify destiny, it's not that our love died it just never really bloomed
No I can't let go, no I can't let go of you
You're holding me back without even trying to
I can't let go, I can't move on from the past
Without lifting a finger you're holding me back
And then we saw our past, diverge, and I guess I felt okay about it
Until you got with another man, and then I couldn't understand
Why it bothered me so, no we didn't die we just never had a chance to grow.
I can't let go, no I can't let go of you
You're holding me back without even trying to
I can't let go, I can't move on from the past
Without lifting a finger you're holding me back
And it might not make sense
To you or any of my friends
But somehow still you affect the things I do
And you can't lose what you never had
I don't understand why I feel sad
Every time I see you out with someone new
I can't let go, no I can't let go no I can't let go of you
I can't let go, no I can't let go of you
You're holding me back without even trying to
I can't let go, I can't move on from the past
Without lifting a finger you're holding me back
I can't let go, no I can't let go of you
You're holding me back without even trying to
I can't let go, I can't move on from the past
Ooooooh
About love that didn't last, but I could never call you mine
Cause I could never call myself yours, and if we were really meant to be
Well then we'd justify destiny, it's not that our love died it just never really bloomed
No I can't let go, no I can't let go of you
You're holding me back without even trying to
I can't let go, I can't move on from the past
Without lifting a finger you're holding me back
And then we saw our past, diverge, and I guess I felt okay about it
Until you got with another man, and then I couldn't understand
Why it bothered me so, no we didn't die we just never had a chance to grow.
I can't let go, no I can't let go of you
You're holding me back without even trying to
I can't let go, I can't move on from the past
Without lifting a finger you're holding me back
And it might not make sense
To you or any of my friends
But somehow still you affect the things I do
And you can't lose what you never had
I don't understand why I feel sad
Every time I see you out with someone new
I can't let go, no I can't let go no I can't let go of you
I can't let go, no I can't let go of you
You're holding me back without even trying to
I can't let go, I can't move on from the past
Without lifting a finger you're holding me back
I can't let go, no I can't let go of you
You're holding me back without even trying to
I can't let go, I can't move on from the past
Ooooooh
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
This is about a journy of two people who love each other but a deeper relationship never bloomed be it bad timing, not wanting to ruin a friendship, distance or lack of maturity.
They may have a pre-arranged agreement to bloom if they are single at a future age. If the arrangment is fullfiled they are destined to be together.
What ever it may be they are connected and will continue to be connected in some form and now only time will tell.
i agree completely with your interpretation :) great way of putting it! i've been in this exact situation over the summer, and i just can't let go of this guy....and we never really had an "official relationship" but what we had is unforgettable for me and i have trouble getting past it and moving on. the line, "you're the closest thing i have to bring up in a conversation, about a love that didn't last" describes how you always wanna talk about it, even though its rough to recall it, because you miss the relationship so much.