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.
it's getting awfully tight
and I am tired of feeling this way
and if I feel I feel what should I feel
if birds don't fly straight
its too bad I carry it with me
it is far too late to let it show
hues of night light down in the soft light
and they call to me as they go asunder
six thirty-eight is too far away
last impressions stretched across a field
blowing this way
and they'd tell me birds don't fly straight
so I will carry it with me
I will carry it with me to think about it
snow doesn't fall on the ocean
a suicidal man doesn't hesitate
greater love has nothing to do with devotion
and birds
birds don't fly straight
and are you watching me from high above
did you lock me away in your heart
and does that love struggle against you
is it, is it fighting against you
and I am writing you a letter today
it'll never come, it’ll never come if I am tired of feeling this way
so I carry it with me
I will carry it with me
carry it with me
if you think about it
snow doesn't fall on the ocean
a suicidal man doesn't hesitate
greater love has nothing to do with devotion
and birds
birds don't fly straight
snow doesn't fall on the ocean
and a suicidal man doesn't, he doesn’t hesitate
greater love has nothing to do with devotion
and birds don’t fly straight
and I am tired of feeling this way
and if I feel I feel what should I feel
if birds don't fly straight
its too bad I carry it with me
it is far too late to let it show
hues of night light down in the soft light
and they call to me as they go asunder
six thirty-eight is too far away
last impressions stretched across a field
blowing this way
and they'd tell me birds don't fly straight
so I will carry it with me
I will carry it with me to think about it
snow doesn't fall on the ocean
a suicidal man doesn't hesitate
greater love has nothing to do with devotion
and birds
birds don't fly straight
and are you watching me from high above
did you lock me away in your heart
and does that love struggle against you
is it, is it fighting against you
and I am writing you a letter today
it'll never come, it’ll never come if I am tired of feeling this way
so I carry it with me
I will carry it with me
carry it with me
if you think about it
snow doesn't fall on the ocean
a suicidal man doesn't hesitate
greater love has nothing to do with devotion
and birds
birds don't fly straight
snow doesn't fall on the ocean
and a suicidal man doesn't, he doesn’t hesitate
greater love has nothing to do with devotion
and birds don’t fly straight
Lyrics submitted by Kal
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"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"
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If birds really don't fly straight then why is the sky open, but most of all why do the birds choose to meander along throughout the air.
I think the true meaning of this song is that "greater love has nothing to do with devotion". He is making this concept sound so simple by easing the listener into believing this very simply by starting with an easy notion: birds don't fly straight. Everyone knows that birds do not always fly straight, just look into the sky.
He now uses a series of comparisons that make the final thought seem easy.
Snow doesn't fall on the ocean. It may fall towards the ocean but as soon as it hits the water it is no longer snow, its turns to water or perhaps even ice.
A suicidal man doesn't hesitate. Many people that eventually kill themselves are considered, in the end, suicidal, but many of them hesitate for at least a moment. If someone is truly suicidal than of course they would not hesitate, they do not want to live.
Greater love has nothing to do with devotion. Isn't it obvious at this point? I agree and think that he just means that everyone will fall in love with someone someday. It just happens, you cannot devote yourself to the wrong person and force love.
I could be wrong about the whole thing though. Maybe its actually about Ice-nine destroying the world.