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 tried to paint you a picture
The colors were all wrong
Black and white didn't fit you
And all along
You were shaded with patience
Your strokes of everything
That I need just to make it
But I can see, yeah
Lord knows I failed you time and again
But you and me are alright
We won't say our goodbyes
You know it's better that way
We won't break, we won't die
It's just a moment of change
All we are, all we are
Is everything that's right
All we need, all we need
A lover's alibi, yeah
I walked a minute in your shoes
They never would've fit
I figured there's nothing to lose
I need to get
Some perspective on these words
Before I write them down
You're an island and my ship
Has run aground
Oh, Lord knows I failed you time and again
But you and me are alright, yeah
We won't say our goodbyes
You know it's better that way
We won't break, we won't die
It's just a moment of change
All we are, all we are
Is everything that's right
All we need, all we need
A lover's alibi, oh
Every single day that I can breathe
You changed my philosophy
I'm never gonna let you pass me by
So don't say your goodbyes
You know it's better that way
We wont break, we won't die
It's just a moment of change, yeah, ooh, ooh
So don't say your goodbyes
You know it's better that way
We won't break, we won't die
It's just a moment of change
All we are, all we are
Is everything that's right
All we need, all we need
A lover's alibi, yeah, ooh, ooh
So don't say our goodbyes
You know it's better
We won't break, we won't die, ooh, ooh, ah
The colors were all wrong
Black and white didn't fit you
And all along
You were shaded with patience
Your strokes of everything
That I need just to make it
But I can see, yeah
Lord knows I failed you time and again
But you and me are alright
We won't say our goodbyes
You know it's better that way
We won't break, we won't die
It's just a moment of change
All we are, all we are
Is everything that's right
All we need, all we need
A lover's alibi, yeah
I walked a minute in your shoes
They never would've fit
I figured there's nothing to lose
I need to get
Some perspective on these words
Before I write them down
You're an island and my ship
Has run aground
Oh, Lord knows I failed you time and again
But you and me are alright, yeah
We won't say our goodbyes
You know it's better that way
We won't break, we won't die
It's just a moment of change
All we are, all we are
Is everything that's right
All we need, all we need
A lover's alibi, oh
Every single day that I can breathe
You changed my philosophy
I'm never gonna let you pass me by
So don't say your goodbyes
You know it's better that way
We wont break, we won't die
It's just a moment of change, yeah, ooh, ooh
So don't say your goodbyes
You know it's better that way
We won't break, we won't die
It's just a moment of change
All we are, all we are
Is everything that's right
All we need, all we need
A lover's alibi, yeah, ooh, ooh
So don't say our goodbyes
You know it's better
We won't break, we won't die, ooh, ooh, ah
Lyrics submitted by risefromtheashes, edited by nancyg
All We Are Lyrics as written by Tim Myers Ryan Tedder
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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"
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
for me its about a relationship gone sour and he doesn't wanna end it yet because of many reason i.e. love her, can't handle being alone, and tries to recindle(sp?) what they had and think that everything will be alright.