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.
Head over here and take me
Head over heels and aching
When I told you I was yours
I was yours
In this life, you're the one place I call home
In this life, you're the feeling I belong
In this life, you're the flower and the thorn
You're everything that's fair in love and war
I'm coming down like a gunshot
In all these battles I've fought
You're the mark I'm aiming for
I was yours
In this life, you're the one place I call home
In this life, you're the feeling I belong
In this life, you're the flower and the thorn
You're everything that's fair in love and war
In love and war
Head over heels
Head over heels
In this life, I'm stubborn to the core
In this life, I've been burning after more
We both know what these open arms are for
You're everything that's fair
In this life, you're my only one
In this life, you're my only one
In this life, you're my only one
In this life, you're my only one
In this life, you're the one place I call home
In this life, you're the feeling I belong
In this life, you're the flower and the thorn
You're everything that's fair in love and war
Head over heels and aching
When I told you I was yours
I was yours
In this life, you're the one place I call home
In this life, you're the feeling I belong
In this life, you're the flower and the thorn
You're everything that's fair in love and war
I'm coming down like a gunshot
In all these battles I've fought
You're the mark I'm aiming for
I was yours
In this life, you're the one place I call home
In this life, you're the feeling I belong
In this life, you're the flower and the thorn
You're everything that's fair in love and war
In love and war
Head over heels
Head over heels
In this life, I'm stubborn to the core
In this life, I've been burning after more
We both know what these open arms are for
You're everything that's fair
In this life, you're my only one
In this life, you're my only one
In this life, you're my only one
In this life, you're my only one
In this life, you're the one place I call home
In this life, you're the feeling I belong
In this life, you're the flower and the thorn
You're everything that's fair in love and war
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
WONDERFUL song. Seems he's head over heels in love with God, to me.
"We both know what these open arms are for" makes me think of Jesus on the cross but in the way that he's opening his arms to us (he made that sacrifice of love for us). We know what that was for. For us. For us (our souls) to be freed forever.
Maybe he keeps saying "in THIS life" because that's all we know of until we are in fact IN the second life (heaven).
Easily one of the best love songs I've heard, whether to Jesus or to a loved one. It certainly is a song showing, at least to me, higher love than the "love" (lust) that the world offers. To feel that you are accepted by someone is the best feeling in the world. Indeed, true love is about acceptance and friendship - this applies both to the relationships in this life and to relationships with Our Lord.
Actually the "open arms" line seems like its talking about God. The open arms are open arms of forgiveness, God is always willing to take you back if you repent.
I don't think it's to his wife. For a long time I did, but there's a few parts in the song that make me question it. A few songs, like "Playing for Keeps," "Might of Ben Hur," "Amateur Lovers," etc are obviously about girls, but I really think this one is about Jesus. The "Open arms" makes me think of when people surrender to Jesus. "Everything that's fair in love and war" and "burning after more" seem intimate, like the statements are kind of "out there" to be talking about a woman. But I guess some people could take it that way.
I think it's for a girl [hopefully his wife. ;) ]. It could go either way, but this line doesn't make me think of God at all. "you’re the flower and the thorn" Marriage isn't just "lalala yay!" all the time. A spouse is both the best and worst at times. Marriage is loving them when they're the flower, and when they're the thorn.
that's my thought on it.
These are the clips on the website. I'm changing all these to the full songs when the CD comes out.
No comments? I love this song. Very pump-upish, if that's a word. The meaning to me is Jon addressing God. I don't think I need to expand on that more, the lyrics are reasonably self explanatory I think. I'll just finish by saying I love the 'you're everything that's fair in love and war' line. Really good line. And again, awesome song.
I think this is a love song to a girl, not God. but yeah it depends on how you choose to look at it. i personally think its clearly a love song because he sings "in THIS life", as if to exclude the afterlife. besides, jon said in an interview that its "an honest love song".
A lot of Jon's love songs are ambiguous, in that you can't tell if he's singing about God or his wife (he is married, isn't he?). The line "we both know what these open arms are for" makes me think he's singing about his wife, but the line "you're the mark I'm aiming for" could refer to God. Either way, it's a very strong, certain love.
this is a rocking beautiful song. i think it's about God because he seems to be calling him home and worth fighting for. especially with the line "i've been burning after more." and "you're the mark i'm aiming for." deep down we realize we want God. the open arms does seem like it's about God to me. to me, it does seem like a devotion to God because Jon keeps singing out, "You're my only one" I can also see how it's about his wife with "in this life"but to me God makes more sense. also, i'm not just using jon's or any of the other band members' faiths to wave the flag of Christianity. this is just what i think of the song. this song is a masterpiece and not cliche` like i've read in some reviews. very poetic and amazing. nothing less