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.
Dark lenses tint the windows that are under my eyelids
To hide from the light like I'm stuck in a fire pit
Burning up inside with no desire to live through these lies
So I suffer in silence
Culture of violence
Truth stuck behind my lips
Bound, gagged, and whipped
Stripped, divided, and split
Eating words with a forked tongue
And now the grumble of my stomach's got the thump of a war drum
There's a battle going on inside nobody's safe from
Clowns are playing Russian Roulette with paint guns
They run in place, and they call it the human race
Losing pace with that stupid look on their face
Shooting blanks
And all they ask is why I wear these glasses
And all I can tell em is "Hell, it's good fashion"
All they ask is why I wear these glasses And all I can tell em is Hell
We're acting like men of steel with a thin protective shield
Gathering the raw footage that can never make the final reel
So we cover up the stories that eyes tell
Make way for what we take to the grave
It doesn't bide well with souls
Buried in a Faustian bargain bin
In the cemetary there's a joust between God and Men
Talking loud, but ain't saying nothing
Used to have daily discussions
Now I doubt we'll ever talk again
And all they ask is why I wear these glasses
And all I can tell em is "Hell, it's good fashion"
All they ask is why I wear these glasses And all I can tell em is hell
To hide from the light like I'm stuck in a fire pit
Burning up inside with no desire to live through these lies
So I suffer in silence
Culture of violence
Truth stuck behind my lips
Bound, gagged, and whipped
Stripped, divided, and split
Eating words with a forked tongue
And now the grumble of my stomach's got the thump of a war drum
There's a battle going on inside nobody's safe from
Clowns are playing Russian Roulette with paint guns
They run in place, and they call it the human race
Losing pace with that stupid look on their face
Shooting blanks
And all they ask is why I wear these glasses
And all I can tell em is "Hell, it's good fashion"
All they ask is why I wear these glasses And all I can tell em is Hell
We're acting like men of steel with a thin protective shield
Gathering the raw footage that can never make the final reel
So we cover up the stories that eyes tell
Make way for what we take to the grave
It doesn't bide well with souls
Buried in a Faustian bargain bin
In the cemetary there's a joust between God and Men
Talking loud, but ain't saying nothing
Used to have daily discussions
Now I doubt we'll ever talk again
And all they ask is why I wear these glasses
And all I can tell em is "Hell, it's good fashion"
All they ask is why I wear these glasses And all I can tell em is hell
Lyrics submitted by brain_stew
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
"buried in a Faustian bargain bin"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faustian
" Dark lenses tint the windows that are under my eyelids To hide from the light like I'm stuck in a fire pit"
He opens the song in reference to his glasses; they're his blanket from the hell he sees. A good portion of this verse is a detail of what it is he hides from, both internally and externally. As it were, he's describing a hell on earth, the death of his innocence and inner sense...the glasses sheild him from the external, while doubling a sheild to protect those outside from the internal.
The chorus is typical of Sage's wordplay, where the addition of subtraction of a word can change the entire meaning of a phrase he writes.
Hell, it's Good Fashion...this refers to his inability to explain why he feels the need to protect himself, which is referenced in the second verse "that can never make the final reel."
He explains the need for his sunglasses in the repeat of the stanza, however, when he responds with "hell."
Essentially, the sunglasses are his sheild from hell, but "good fashion" is easier for those who speaks with to stomach.
Reminds me of wearing sunglasses at my sisters wedding after a long hard night of taking drugs the night before. "We're acting like men of steel with a thin protective shield Gathering the raw footage that can never make the final reel So we cover up the stories that eyes tell Make way for what we take to the grave"
Obviously about attending a funeral though ;)