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.
Cruise you are making me sing
Now you have taken me under your wing
Cruise, we both know you're the best
How can they say you're like all the rest
Cruise, we're both travelling so far
Burning out fast like a shooting star
Cruise I feel sure that your song will be sung
And will ring in the ears of everyone
Saving our children, saving our land
Protecting us from things we can't understand
Power and Glory, Justice and Right
I'm sure that you'll help us to see the light
And the love that you radiate will keep us warm
And help us to weather the storm
Cruise, you have taken me in
And just when I've got you under my skin
You start ignoring the fears I have felt
'Cause you know you can always make my poor heart melt
Please don't take what I'm saying amiss
Or misunderstand at a time such as this
Because if such close friends should ever fall out
What would there be left worth fighting about
Power and glory, justice and right
I'm sure that you'll help them to see the light
Will you save our children, will you save our land
And protect us from all the things we can't understand?
Power and glory and justice for all
Who will we turn to when your hard rain falls?
Now you have taken me under your wing
Cruise, we both know you're the best
How can they say you're like all the rest
Cruise, we're both travelling so far
Burning out fast like a shooting star
Cruise I feel sure that your song will be sung
And will ring in the ears of everyone
Saving our children, saving our land
Protecting us from things we can't understand
Power and Glory, Justice and Right
I'm sure that you'll help us to see the light
And the love that you radiate will keep us warm
And help us to weather the storm
Cruise, you have taken me in
And just when I've got you under my skin
You start ignoring the fears I have felt
'Cause you know you can always make my poor heart melt
Please don't take what I'm saying amiss
Or misunderstand at a time such as this
Because if such close friends should ever fall out
What would there be left worth fighting about
Power and glory, justice and right
I'm sure that you'll help them to see the light
Will you save our children, will you save our land
And protect us from all the things we can't understand?
Power and glory and justice for all
Who will we turn to when your hard rain falls?
Lyrics submitted by sillybunny
Cruise Lyrics as written by David Jon Gilmour
Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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… apparently an ode to an MX nuclear-tipped cruise missile.
[Interviewer: B. Pinnell 1988]
BP: That's great. You mentioned, um, Dogs of War. On your solo album of, of four years ago you wrote a song called Cruise, which was your fear of a nuclear confrontation.
DG: Mmm.
BP: Do you still occasionally ponder on things like that? Is Dogs of War again a, another thought you might of had about the possibility something like that occurring?
DG: Um, yeah. I mean I think about those things all the time, you know, there are two on that solo album, Out of the Blue and Cruise are both about that sort thing from slightly different angles. Dogs of War is more a, you know, it's more about, it's, it's really mostly about um, I should think, political mercenaries really. You know, er, the Oliver Norths of this world and stuff like that I think is what it came out of mostly.
BP: There's a great bluesy feel on the instrumental part that, that's a, a really enjoyable passage for me, because it sees you going back to, I suppose, to your roots and having Hammond organ in there was great, 'cause Hammond organ isn't used that much these days is it?
DG: No, no. But we, ah, I think it's still one of the great instruments, the Hammond organ.