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.
So long ago, on a summer day
I put my best shirt on
I took you to the matinee
With money from mowing lawns
Money from mowing lawns
You worked down at the Dairy Queen
We hit it off from the start
Now there's a blizzard in between
Frost inside a heart
If I had a good reason, I would share
It with you
Then the coldest season came
Making room for something new
Good for you
Good for me
Call it serendipity
Walking on coals, just trying to get through
But summers don't last that long
All that is left here is the truth
Everything else is gone
Gone without a good reason for me to share
With you
When the coldest season came
Making room for something new
Good for you
Good for me
Call it serendipity
If I could only hit my stride
I'll make it to the other side
I don't wanna be roadkill
When there's half a cup to fill
To fill
Good for you (call it serendipity)
Good for me (serendipity)
Call it serendipity
Call it serendipity
Call it serendipity
Walking on coals, just trying to get through
Now summers don't last so long
All that is left here is the truth
Everything else is gone
I put my best shirt on
I took you to the matinee
With money from mowing lawns
Money from mowing lawns
You worked down at the Dairy Queen
We hit it off from the start
Now there's a blizzard in between
Frost inside a heart
If I had a good reason, I would share
It with you
Then the coldest season came
Making room for something new
Good for you
Good for me
Call it serendipity
Walking on coals, just trying to get through
But summers don't last that long
All that is left here is the truth
Everything else is gone
Gone without a good reason for me to share
With you
When the coldest season came
Making room for something new
Good for you
Good for me
Call it serendipity
If I could only hit my stride
I'll make it to the other side
I don't wanna be roadkill
When there's half a cup to fill
To fill
Good for you (call it serendipity)
Good for me (serendipity)
Call it serendipity
Call it serendipity
Call it serendipity
Walking on coals, just trying to get through
Now summers don't last so long
All that is left here is the truth
Everything else is gone
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
no one likes this song?? crazy people, Kevin Hearn is one of the greatest singer/songwriters ever... anyway, this song is about a summer romance that didn't really work out.
The summer romance involves the singer and a girl who works at the dairy queen. Kevin Hearn uses clever puns based off this fact. i.e. "now there's a blizzard inbetween" blizzard meaning coldness felt toward each other and the blizzard treat you can buy at dairy queen.
According to dictionary.com serendipity means "an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident" or "good fortune; luck". since the summer romance didn't work out and neither of them were too upset about that, it was serendipity, good for both of them ("good for you, good for me") Kevin Hearn is an amazing song writer and singer and I have no clue why Barenaked Ladies don't let him or Jim Creegen sing more. Don't get me wrong, I love Ed Robertson and Steven Page too, it's just I've fallen madly in love with Kevin and Jim's voices.
Anyone else get a strong Beach Boys vibe from this song?
Not that much :D
Serendipity (as a humanisation), is the "Angel" of inspiration. Thus, in this summer he had with this wonderful woman, it was like he was totally inspired. But the song has a sad undertone, as he loses the woman, and is left to reminisce.
I agree totally with 1967impala, but i also think that the couple is quite young probably in their high school years and about a swiftly passing puppy love. The whole cutting grass, going to movies and so on. In any case it is together with Maybe you're right the best songs they have made somewhat recently.
This has become my summer anthem for this year. I never thought much about it in the past, but now it just clicks perfectly.
I'm listening to this whole album with a renewed appreciation for it.