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.
We took the highway till the road went black
We marked Truth Or Consequences on our map*
A voice drifted up from the radio
We saw the voice from long ago
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The kids asleep in the backseat
We're just countin' the miles you and me
We don't measure the blood we've drawn anymore
We just stack the bodies outside the door
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The wise men were all fools
What to do
The sun sets in flames as the city burns
Another day gone down as the night turns
And I hold you here in my heart
As things fall apart
A downtown window flushed with light
Faces of the dead at five (faces of the dead at five)
A martyr's silent eyes
Petition the drivers as we pass by
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Darlin' your tyrants and kings form the same fate
Strung up at your city gates
And you're the last to die for a mistake
We marked Truth Or Consequences on our map*
A voice drifted up from the radio
We saw the voice from long ago
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The kids asleep in the backseat
We're just countin' the miles you and me
We don't measure the blood we've drawn anymore
We just stack the bodies outside the door
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The wise men were all fools
What to do
The sun sets in flames as the city burns
Another day gone down as the night turns
And I hold you here in my heart
As things fall apart
A downtown window flushed with light
Faces of the dead at five (faces of the dead at five)
A martyr's silent eyes
Petition the drivers as we pass by
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die
Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Darlin' your tyrants and kings form the same fate
Strung up at your city gates
And you're the last to die for a mistake
Lyrics submitted by delial
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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@[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.
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'last to die' is a john kerry reference. Kerry used that to describe the Vietnam and the Iraq War. It describes the tragedy of being the very last person to die for stupid, unecessary wars
The end of the first verse:<br /> A voice drifted up from the radio<br /> We saw the voice from long ago<br /> i think is reaffirming that. I think he hears Kerry over the radio (during the election maybe?), and remembers his speech about Vietnam
The problem with your reasoning matkojebca, is that this war was a farce from the beginning. If there was reliable intelligence about Saddam having WMD's which later proved to be mistaken, you would be absolutely right. The problem is that there wasn't any reliable intelligence from the beginning. This war was started under false pretenses, and the 'goal' of 'reforming' Iraq proved to be a major mistake. I think that's the point of this song.
While the lyrics seem to be about our approach to war in general and not specific to any one conflict, the term "Last to Die" references the Vietnam war. The term recalls the statements made by John Kerry in his April 1971 testimony before subcommittees on the war.
Kerry referencing how the war never seems to come to an end.....
"Each day to facilitate the process by which the United States washes her hands of Vietnam someone has to give up his life so that the United States doesn't have to admit something that the entire world already knows, so that we can't say that we have made a mistake. Someone has to dies so that President Nixon won't be, and these are his words, "the first President to lose a war. We are asking Americans to think about that because how do you ask a man to be the last man to dies in Vietnam? How do ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake? But we are trying to do that, and we are doing it with thousands of rationalizations."
I think its about the war in Iraq
Agreed. A good song, keeping in his tradition.
Just sounds too much of a dead ringer. But he did say this was again a political album.
I agree. It sounds like a song about war. Great
There are several mistakes in the lyrics above, most notably the last few lines, which should read: "Darlin' will tyrants and kings fall to the same fate, Strung up at your city gates...". It is a question.
The line "The wise men were all fools... what to do." It simultaneously tells the story and the hopelessness of it. Very political, but that's one of the best part about Bruce. He is simultaneously a poet and an activist. Who would want it any other way, as he says in Jungleland, "And man the poets down here don't write nothing at all... they just stand back and let it all be."
By that logic should we attack every country in the world as they may perhaps bomb us, matkojebca?
I thought it was about Katrina hurricane and its dramatic consequences...