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 I got all these things, but so what?
In the end you can't take them with you
You think you can save my soul? Well Ok...
Tell me, with all your conviction
What happens now?
Well I could be boarding an aircraft
With a bomb concealed in somebody's briefcase
And my body will spread through the heavens, across the sky
And my ashes will fall through the cloudburst
What happens now?
What happens now?
In the end you can't take them with you
You think you can save my soul? Well Ok...
Tell me, with all your conviction
What happens now?
Well I could be boarding an aircraft
With a bomb concealed in somebody's briefcase
And my body will spread through the heavens, across the sky
And my ashes will fall through the cloudburst
What happens now?
What happens now?
Lyrics submitted by Metanoia01
What Happens Now? Lyrics as written by Richard Barbieri Colin Edwin Balch
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I love this song... The music reminds of me early-day PT, and the lyrics are masterful - the second verse in particular conjurs up some amazing imagery.
I think it's fairly obviously fitting in with the Fear of a Blank Planet theme - the kid is bored of everything he has and asks what is left to do now he has all these material posessions. Storyline wise, it should probably come before Way Out of Here - the question 'What Happens Now?' sounds to me like the first inklings of a potential suicide...
Hmm. I don't know about that theory. All of the songs in Nil Recurring weren't included in FOABP because Wilson didn't think they'd fit with the concept. Seeing the first verse kinda makes sense that decision. The whole song brings the image of a suicide bomber with religious intentions, specially that first verse.
But yeah, my favorite from the ep...
I only just discovered this disc more than a year after it was released. What an amazing song, definitely my favorite from the EP too.<br /> <br /> To me it simply doubts the existence of the afterlife. Despite anyone's religious belief, nobody REALLY knows what happens when you die (other than the fact that you can't take your material possessions with you). Do you move on to another plane of existence? Do you get reincarnated? Or just... nothingness? <br /> <br /> The character in the song has friends telling him what he should believe, but he poses this doubt for us in the form of a hypothetical scenario -- what if you are on a plane and a suicide bomber blows everyone up, including you? It's a situation you have no control over and is one of the real fears of our era. Then what happens to you?...<br /> <br /> So, I don't think the person in the song is the bomber or is thinking about doing this. He's a hypothetical victim of a hypothetical bomber -- who is, ironically, blowing everyone up probably out of religious conviction.
I think this is about someone who has lost all hope in life and simply does not value it anymore. They are describing what they COULD do. They could blow themselves up in an airplane, because they simply don't care anymore. He asks himself, "What happens now?" because he doesn't empathize with the people who would be hurt if he did something major like that. It's a passive "So what?" kind of attitude.
He simply sees it as blowing himself up across the heavens, and toys with the idea...
I think this song has the musical sound and style of FOABP, but lyrically it has nothing to do with the concept. It's a song about wanting to believe there is something after we die, but facing the fact we don't know, and facing rational thinking: probably not.<br /> <br /> the 1st part is about materialism, a common way of illuding yourself that leaving your belongings or your creation makes you in some way live forever. <br /> <br /> The 2nd part is about religion, the most popular lie about death, simply saying "you don't really die, you are going to a better place.<br /> <br /> In the 3rd part we are given an example of what could happen to a miserable person, believing there is something after death which is better than life, and believing that dying for the cause of killing (non believers, or people who object to you political view) will get you to an even better place.<br /> But the most interesting thing is the repetition of this phrase, to show that this is actually what life is about, we fear death, even more than we fear of a blank planet, and we are willing to believe in anything just to avoid thinking about it!<br /> <br /> But tell me, really, what happens now?
In my personal opinion and take for this song is, that the character (or him), is talking to GOD, about what he says if you follow him, your soul will be "saved" and go with him into the heavens, so the title represent that, until that time comes, what will happen now?? with this world rippin out in little pieces, wars, etc!?. The second verse takes a more metaphorical approach to me...
well in my opnion ...the song talks about a suiciding poeple and even if they will go to heavens it wont change the world and the solo discripes that explosion ...but i think there is hiding massege behind that ...i think it talks no. 11 ...coz in part 4:43..when steven wilson play the (Anesthetize rythem)...we can hear a sound of someone saying (daash) wich it means 11 in iraqi langauge...so maybe it talkes about world trade...i like this band anyway...and i listen to this song like 11 times a day.
Not such a fan of the lyrics any more, but the music...
The fact that Steven left you with the image of his 'ashes falling through the cloudburst' gives the counterpoint a nice transition.
someone that has trouble believing in a God. They are the "see it, to believe it" type person. They want to "know", not not just "think", what happens when you. A stab at religion and how a lot of religious people are so sure of God, but have no proof. He might want to believe but doesn't understand exactly how to anyone can do that.
*^what happens when you die. Also, the bomb is in someone elses briefcase, not his.
It fits a scenario in my life. I just hooked up with a girl a week a go, just before she broke up with her boyfriend. She came on me and I didnt say no. I used to be in love with her but I put it all behind me cause I used to hang with her and her boyfriend as friends. This happened for about 8 months, and I really thought we had a good friendship with the guy.
The first verse says ::: That I got the girl, but I cant be a fool to believe I could keep on having a ::: relationship with her on these terms
The second verse ::: I am having second thoughts on what is happening and want to break it up.
Well I could be :::
boarding an aircraft ::: Thats the relationship I could be having with the girl
With a bomb... ::: That somebody is the ex, and the bomb would be him seeing us together, or if he ... briefcase ::: just learned it somehow.
And my body... ::: Thats my psychology if the "bomb" would explode. ... cloudburst :::
I cant not let him know what happened. I think it is better for him to know the truth and get over it, than let the years go by thinking what went wrong. I was in a same situation and I never learned the truth. I wish I had. I dont care if I dont do anything with the girl again, I just want to be honest even now, I betrayed a friend and I wish he could someday forgive me but probably I'm getting my ass kicked and he will never speak to me again.
Oh and I broke it up with the girl because I want him to know and she doesn't.<br /> If she doesn't tell him, I will.
This is about suicide bomber.
This song has nothing to do with suicide. Its has to do with the meaning of life and faith. Materialism is a dead end. So, okay lets do religion.
Okay, so now what. There is still terror and pain in the world. I could die tomorrow (in a plane bombing). To note here, the bomb is not taken on the plane by the person singing, he is an innocent victim.
Its basically a song about the loss of faith, especially in such a violent deadly world.