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.
Hear the sound
The angels come screaming
Down your voice
I hear you've been bleeding
Make your choice
They say you've been pleading
Someone save us
Heaven help us now
Come crashing down
We'll hear the sound
As you're falling down
I'm at this old hotel
But can't tell if I've been breathing or sleeping
Or screaming or waiting for the man to call
And maybe all of the above
'Cause mostly I've been sprawled on these cathedral steps
While spitting out the blood and screaming
Someone save us
Heaven help us now
Come crashing down
We'll hear the sound
As you're falling down
And will you pray for me?
Or make a saint of me?
And will you lay for me?
Or make saint?
'Cause I'll give you all the nails you need
Cover me in gasoline
Wipe away those tears of blood again
And the punchline to the joke is asking
Someone save us
Heaven help us now
Come crashing down
We'll hear the sound
As you fall
And would you pray for me?
(You don't know a thing about my sins)
(How the misery begins)
Or make a saint of me?
(You don't know)
(So I'm burning, I'm burning)
And will you lay for me?
(You don't know a thing about my sins)
(How the misery begins)
Or make a saint?
(You don't know)
('Cause I'm burning, I'm burning)
'Cause I'll give you all the nails you need
(I'm burning, I'm burning again)
Cover me in gasoline again
The angels come screaming
Down your voice
I hear you've been bleeding
Make your choice
They say you've been pleading
Someone save us
Heaven help us now
Come crashing down
We'll hear the sound
As you're falling down
I'm at this old hotel
But can't tell if I've been breathing or sleeping
Or screaming or waiting for the man to call
And maybe all of the above
'Cause mostly I've been sprawled on these cathedral steps
While spitting out the blood and screaming
Someone save us
Heaven help us now
Come crashing down
We'll hear the sound
As you're falling down
And will you pray for me?
Or make a saint of me?
And will you lay for me?
Or make saint?
'Cause I'll give you all the nails you need
Cover me in gasoline
Wipe away those tears of blood again
And the punchline to the joke is asking
Someone save us
Heaven help us now
Come crashing down
We'll hear the sound
As you fall
And would you pray for me?
(You don't know a thing about my sins)
(How the misery begins)
Or make a saint of me?
(You don't know)
(So I'm burning, I'm burning)
And will you lay for me?
(You don't know a thing about my sins)
(How the misery begins)
Or make a saint?
(You don't know)
('Cause I'm burning, I'm burning)
'Cause I'll give you all the nails you need
(I'm burning, I'm burning again)
Cover me in gasoline again
Lyrics submitted by strider3005, edited by SmashingDestiny
Heaven Help Us [B-Side] Lyrics as written by Frank Iero Bob Bryar
Lyrics © Blow The Doors Off Chicago
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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It would make sense for this song to be about Joan of Arc. But here's my take on it:
"Hear the sound. The angels come screaming. Down your voice. I hear you've been bleeding. Make your choice. They say you've been pleading. Someone save us."
I imagine someone dying slowly in a hospital. "The angels come screaming" when they "hear the sound" of death, or sense the person's impending death. Perhaps the person can't breathe very well on their own anymore, so they have tubes and oxygen helping them breathe, and they bleed eveytime a new tube is put in. Meanwhile, the relatives of the patient have been pleading for God to make his choice not to let the dying person suffer anymore and to save the familly from too much more emotional pain.
"Heaven help us now. Come crashing down. We'll hear the sound. As your falling down." Everyone involved wants Heaven to help them get through such a hard time, and they can "hear" Heaven come crashing down to take the dying person.
"I'm at this old hotel. But can't tell if I've been breathing or sleeping. Or screaming or waiting for the Man to call. And maybe all of the above. 'Cause mostly I've been Sprawled on these cathedral steps While spiiting out the blood And screaming 'Someone save us!'" The dying persomn is being so heavily medicated that they're really out of it and they "can't tell if" they've "been breathing or sleeping or screaming or waiting for the Mabn to call. And maybe all of the above." The "old hotel" isn't a hotel, it's the hospital."The patient is waiting for God ("The Man) to call him home. Perhaps one of the more miserable family members of the patient is the one "sprawled on these cathedral steps screaming 'Someone save us!'" Or it could also be that the patient dreams of laying on the cathedral steps screaming for someone to save us.
"And will you pray for me? Or make a saint of me? And will you lay for me? Or make a saint of me?" The patient is asking if his family will pray for him and if they'll make im a saint in their books.
"'Cause I'll give you all the nails you need Cover me in gasoline Wipe away those tears of blood again And the punchline to the joke is asking Someone save us" "The punchline to the joke is asking 'Someone save us'" because the patient is going to die very son and it doesn't make any sense for anyone to ask for God to save him.
"And would you pray for me? (You don't know a thing about my sins) (How the misery begins) Or make us say don't leave? (You don't know) (So I'm burning, I'm burning) And will you lay for me? (You don't know a thing about my sins) (How the misery begins) Or make a saint of me? (You don't know) ('Cause I'm burning, I'm burning)" The patient is once again asking their family to pray for them, and perhaps a priest who doesn't know the patient is givig them their last rites and tht's why he's saying to the priest, "You don't know a thing about my sins, how the misery begins."
"'Cause I'll give you all the nails you need (I'm burning, I'm burning again) Cover me in gasoline again" The patient's condition is deteriorating and is saying nonsensical things?