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 was seven o'clock in the morning
Too late to handle the day
At home it was only two thirty
The skin on my wrists turning grey
Stood up, wished us good luck
He changed his attitudes twice
The box in the corner shivered in fear
He was tired and hungry for days.
The next year she bought a new stomach
From Liverpool made in Detroit
Constantly passing old matches
Some sentries and millionaires
Who did? Gallagher did
The same old thing every time
Gave up, more empty cups
They were tired and hungry for nights.
It made life a littl e easier
To have Holland on the run
It didn't take that long to forget her
My old man and his gun
Rushed out, lions about
Wasting away on advice
A hundred and three, 400 or more
It'll haunt you for the rest of your life
Too late to handle the day
At home it was only two thirty
The skin on my wrists turning grey
Stood up, wished us good luck
He changed his attitudes twice
The box in the corner shivered in fear
He was tired and hungry for days.
The next year she bought a new stomach
From Liverpool made in Detroit
Constantly passing old matches
Some sentries and millionaires
Who did? Gallagher did
The same old thing every time
Gave up, more empty cups
They were tired and hungry for nights.
It made life a littl e easier
To have Holland on the run
It didn't take that long to forget her
My old man and his gun
Rushed out, lions about
Wasting away on advice
A hundred and three, 400 or more
It'll haunt you for the rest of your life
Lyrics submitted by Santo Arma Re-dux
Ghost Story Lyrics as written by Roger Miller
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.”
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.
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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,
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