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.
I feel the rain brush past my knees
as i kneel by your body, as i kneel by your dead body
your stare pierces me from beneath the leaves
i look up to the sky and i'll wait with you forever
and i'll wait until the sky burns away for you to wake
the sun hides behind the hills
what we love will destroy us
your skin looks so pale
the moonlight christens your body
i'm too young to die but i'd die for you tonight
because there's feelings left, there's always more.
as i kneel by your body, as i kneel by your dead body
your stare pierces me from beneath the leaves
i look up to the sky and i'll wait with you forever
and i'll wait until the sky burns away for you to wake
the sun hides behind the hills
what we love will destroy us
your skin looks so pale
the moonlight christens your body
i'm too young to die but i'd die for you tonight
because there's feelings left, there's always more.
Lyrics submitted by underoath323
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
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 is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
the riff at 1:28 into this song is sick! awesome song
Agreed.<br /> <br /> So is the one at 3:55 and the awesome build up to it. Heck, this song just is pure awesome all the way through.
pkll is sick. they got ross back didn't they?
shitttt. too bad they broke up!
A correction for accuracy (how it is actually sung)
I feel the rain brush past my knees as i kneel by your dead Body, as i kneel by your dead
They broke up?
The lyrics to this are amazing imo. It's not really a thing you can relate to, but it's so brilliantly done - like late victorian gothic poetry, and obviously the name is refrencing 'Porpyria's Lover' By Robert Browning. I'm not sure if it's trying to metaphor to anything but its most plain outline is that it's someone's total despair in someone they love dying, and how they would do and try to do anything to take that person back, but obviously they can't. Very different from the original poem Porpyria's Lover though, that's someone killing someone that they love so they can never leave them..
The lyrics to this are amazing imo. It's not really a thing you can relate to, but it's so brilliantly done - like late victorian gothic poetry, and obviously the name is refrencing 'Porpyria's Lover' By Robert Browning. I'm not sure if it's trying to metaphor to anything but its most plain outline is that it's someone's total despair in someone they love dying, and how they would do and try to do anything to take that person back, but obviously they can't. Very different from the original poem Porpyria's Lover though, that's someone killing someone that they love so they can never leave them..
Yes, I noticed this song name and had to listen to (as an English grad student) and "Porphyria's Lover" being one of my all time favorite poems as well as the first poem I ever memorized (granted it's quite long). No offense to the song or the band but it really doesn't do the poem justice in the least.
Their best song, Hands down.