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.
walking down that main drag
some good night with moonlight
peering in just enough to move us to our feet
get us out the door
i think i jumped alongside the curb
with you in the gutter hotstepping street clutter
we didn't speak
just exhaled frozen worlds
oh, turn on, burn on
did you think we had a destination
other than away from exhaustion or apprehension
did you think i was leading you ever so slightly
lightly headed secretly toward some deserted city corner
to neck in the woods
no, let's just get a fire started
ignite a heat to prompt our feet to make a stance
against feeling beat
why can't we be simple and enough to matter
where to go from here now that it's clear
this place like any other loses appeal then cover
begins to stifle, begging for a quick revival
or a smart move to jumpstart an upheaval
gotta change up the circumstance
fit in more romances
sleep in a strange bed nightly
with a new vision to send you off to sleep tightly
and remind you to turn on, burn on
some good night with moonlight
peering in just enough to move us to our feet
get us out the door
i think i jumped alongside the curb
with you in the gutter hotstepping street clutter
we didn't speak
just exhaled frozen worlds
oh, turn on, burn on
did you think we had a destination
other than away from exhaustion or apprehension
did you think i was leading you ever so slightly
lightly headed secretly toward some deserted city corner
to neck in the woods
no, let's just get a fire started
ignite a heat to prompt our feet to make a stance
against feeling beat
why can't we be simple and enough to matter
where to go from here now that it's clear
this place like any other loses appeal then cover
begins to stifle, begging for a quick revival
or a smart move to jumpstart an upheaval
gotta change up the circumstance
fit in more romances
sleep in a strange bed nightly
with a new vision to send you off to sleep tightly
and remind you to turn on, burn on
Lyrics submitted by longblackdress
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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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,