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.
When you're dreaming with a broken heart,
The waking up is the hardest part
You roll out of bed and down on your knees
And for a moment you can hardly breathe
Wondering was she really here
Is she standing in my room?
No, she's not
'Cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone
When you're dreaming with a broken heart,
The giving up is the hardest part
She takes you in with her crying eyes
Then all at once you have to say goodbye
Wondering, could you stay, my love?
Will you wake up by my side?
No, she can't
'Cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone
Now do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my, roses in my hands?
Would you get them if I did?
No, you won't
'Cause you're gone, gone, gone, gone, gone
When you're dreaming with a broken heart,
The waking up is the hardest part.
The waking up is the hardest part
You roll out of bed and down on your knees
And for a moment you can hardly breathe
Wondering was she really here
Is she standing in my room?
No, she's not
'Cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone
When you're dreaming with a broken heart,
The giving up is the hardest part
She takes you in with her crying eyes
Then all at once you have to say goodbye
Wondering, could you stay, my love?
Will you wake up by my side?
No, she can't
'Cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone
Now do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?
Do I have to fall asleep with roses in my, roses in my hands?
Would you get them if I did?
No, you won't
'Cause you're gone, gone, gone, gone, gone
When you're dreaming with a broken heart,
The waking up is the hardest part.
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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, to me, completely depicts what loneliness is like. When you fall for someone and then find out that they don't feel the same for you anymore. Its like dying inside that that's pretty much what he's describing. You've died inside...'The hardest thing is waking up' also strengthened by the symbolism of waking up with a rose, strongly connecting this idea with a funeral/coffin/death/burial. But you figure out that you can love on, as hard as it may be...'You role out of bed and down on your knees' But then you're just so humbled by these feeling that you've felt. 'For a moment you can harldy breathe'. Then theres the repetition of 'gone'. This seems to be like a reminder that they arent there...a sad reminder to yourself that you have to go on.
Beautiful song. Beautiful Man.
This is an amazing song. Johns lyrics are so real. To me its about the aftermath of a relationship. He is remembering how he once had the girl over at his house, in the very room he is in now, and now that she is gone he cant beleive she was here, and misses her so much. He was used to waking up with her beside him, and the hardest part is waking up and hoping for a split second she will be there, but than realizing shes gone.
the line:
"do i have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?"
to me it means he dreams about her, about them being together in his dreams, and when he wakes up to reality, she is not there. so he is thinking that maybe if he slept with roses in his hand, he could give them to her in his dream, and he would wake up with her by his side.
but he once again realizes she will not get them, because she is "gone, gone , gone ,gone....
when your dreaming with a broken heart, the waking up is the hardest part...
amazing song.
I think the "do I have to fall asleep with roses in my hand?" is him referencing if he had to die for her to realize that she loves him.
i felt he meant deep regret, so he wonders if by taking roses to his dreams, he would be able to change things.. to have her back..<br /> "would you get them if i did? no, you won´t.. cause you´re gone.."<br /> this guy is amazing.. sweet words, sexy singing..
I sat and finally listened to this song today. And I realize how much I can relate to it. I have dreams of my ex all the time, and even though I pretend I'm over him, I'm so happy when he kisses me in my dreams. This is exactly what I'm going through.
@stephylynnxo I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR FEELING I have such happy dreams of me and my ex, and yeah I've said that I'm over him thousands of times over, but try telling that to my subconscious! "Waking up is the hardest part" Cause he's gone and there's nothing I can do about it.
personal testimony:
on the way to go see john last month, i was with one of my closest friends, and we were talking about which songs we liked on the new album, and I said this one because i can really relate. and she sort of shrugged it off, because her relationship was going well.
they recently ended it, and she told me last night that she got it. she got the "waking up is the hardest part" and i just wished more than anything that she didnt get it. that she could keep shrugging it off.
because you have these dreams, remembering how you were with this person, the happiness and comfort that they provided, and then you wake up and have to remind yourself that they're "gone." and that dream stays with you all day, and you have this instant happiness but you have to remember that it was just a dream.
and the waking up is allllways agony.
Have you ever woken up and just for a second felt the person you love laying next to you? Or felt them touch you? And the when you open your eyes they're not there?
Or had a dream that was so vivid, so real that when you wake up you have to look around to see if anything is out of place? Kind of like a clue as to whether they were really there or not. I've asked myself..."did that really happen? I'm I going crazy?"
Then I heard this song and I realized I was dreaming with a broken heart.
He said; It is about when things go wrong with someone, you meet them in your dream and they are still alright but, then you wake up and realise "they hate me".
This song is so amazing! The first time I heard it I pulled over on the side of the road and text messaged some of the lyrics to my ex-girlfriend. I can totally relate to this song.
I hurt so bad all I wanted to do was sleep--and I hated waking up, because she was in my every thought. I thought of her so much--it felt surreal.
I gave her up and it was the hardest thing I have done in a very long time... I am still coping with it.
The lyrics: "she takes you in with your crying eyes then all at once you have to say goodbye wondering could you stay my love?" Seeing her cry hurt the most and made me want to take her back and try to work on things again, even though I felt we were doomed. I still want her and want to be with her but she is gone and I made her leave. So this is probably a llittle backwards on the leaving part but this is what I took from the song.
I think there are a lot of us who can really relate to this song. I know the first time I heard it, my heart broke a little at how true it was. I was, at the time, very much in love with someone who did not feel the same way. And almost every night I would have those dreams. I wish that no one could relate to this song. Cause if you can, you are hurting a lot. More than anyone should have to.
This song really hit home for me. This song said exactly how i felt when i first heard it. It basically said to me that there are other people in this world that feel the same way, they have feelings wether it is love, just like or mixed feelings and the other person does not feel the same. To me that is the worst feeling in the world. To basically give someone your heart and you put your feelings out in the open and your are at your most vaulnerable and then next thing you know the other person wether they know it or not just breaks your heart. It hurts and John Mayer has the perfect words to let you know that your not the only one that is feeling or has felt the same as you.
i've had my share of broken hearts but the one that really got me was when i literally had trouble breathing when i woke up