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.
Look at us break our bones in this kitchen
Look at us rallying all our defenses
Look at us waging war in our bedroom
Look at us jumping ship in our dialogues
There is no difference in what we're doing in here
That doesn't show up as bigger symptoms out there
So why spend all our time undressing our bandages
When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here
Our underneath
Look at us our form our cliques in our sandbox
Look at us micro kids with both our hearts blocked
Look at us turn away from all the rough spots
Look at dictatorship on my own block
There is no difference in what we're doing in here
That doesn't show up as bigger symptoms out there
So why spend all our time undressing our bandages
When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here
Our underneath
How I've spun my wheels with carts before my horse
When shine on the outside springs from the root
Spotlight on these seeds of simpler reasons
This core, born into form, starts in my living room
There is no difference in what we're doing in here
That doesn't show up as bigger symptoms out there
So why spend all our time undressing our bandages
When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here, our underneath
Look at us rallying all our defenses
Look at us waging war in our bedroom
Look at us jumping ship in our dialogues
There is no difference in what we're doing in here
That doesn't show up as bigger symptoms out there
So why spend all our time undressing our bandages
When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here
Our underneath
Look at us our form our cliques in our sandbox
Look at us micro kids with both our hearts blocked
Look at us turn away from all the rough spots
Look at dictatorship on my own block
There is no difference in what we're doing in here
That doesn't show up as bigger symptoms out there
So why spend all our time undressing our bandages
When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here
Our underneath
How I've spun my wheels with carts before my horse
When shine on the outside springs from the root
Spotlight on these seeds of simpler reasons
This core, born into form, starts in my living room
There is no difference in what we're doing in here
That doesn't show up as bigger symptoms out there
So why spend all our time undressing our bandages
When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here, our underneath
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
i think that she's saying that we are quick to note all the negative that's occurring throughout the world, yet we aren't addressing our own problems at home, whatever they may be. once we choose to better ourselves and the people around us, then we, as a world community, can work towards a greater common good globally. one of my professors once said, "no one can live forever, it simply isn't possible. but what you can do is influence others. and that will live on eternally." i think this is so true. it's the whole pay it forward theory/movement. karma is so real, and how you treat and influence others will come right back to you. instead of complaining about how bad the world is, make it better by fixing broken relationships, thinking before speaking, and following your heart. i know i went off on a major tangent here, but i think that if everyone bettered themselves individually, the world would be a better place.
Fix ourselves...and with that, we'll fix bigger things. It's as simple as that...and what you've all posted I agree with more or less. She's so fantastic. Alanis never lets me down
Does anyone else love the video to this song? Definitely one of the best I've seen recently.
after watching her music video for this song, my idea about what the lyric "we've the ultimate key to the cause right here right underneath" changed. Throughout the video it constantly shows how everytime she tries to get someone to take one of her "save the earth" flyers, everyone kind of blows her off like saving the earth is a big bother... and then at the end she takes down all of her save the earth stuff and kind of changes her approach to "Save the Heart", which i think is brilliant... So, what guess i'm trying to say is that i feel as if the lyric kind of sends a message that we must save our hearts before we can save the earth.... our hearts being the ultimate cause of why we now have to worry about saving the earth... if we would just kind of heal our hearts in a way where we would care about everything a little more, then saving the world would become a lot less of a bother...
first off i love this woman!!!!! she has changed my life!!!! so i think this song is about how all these things we do.... inside our homes... inside ourselves, everything.. manifests itself as bigger problems in the world. so we all want to change the world but we really need to change ourselves and our homes. "There is no difference in what we're doing in here" inside our home/ourselves "That doesn't show up as big as it does out there" self explanitory. "So why spend all our time undressing our bandages" why try to heal when we keep doing the same thing. and also in larger terms, try to fix the world. "when we've the ultimate key to the cause right here right underneath" when the way to fix it all is right here. in ourselves/our homes. fix the root fix the rest. thats what i think anyways.
I think that this song is saying forget about the past because what's important is what's ahead: "So why spend all our time undressing our bandages When we've the ultimate key to the cause right here all underneath." Instead of thinking about the more painful memories, look at the things that matter now.
maybe?
regardless, this song is amazing.
Hey, guys. I love this song on alot of levels. I love Alanis, too. Thanks for posting it Khonner.
Alanis has often stated her "micro is macro" philosophy. What is on the inside will manifest itself "as bigger symptoms out there (the correct lyric)." If you've seen the Feast DVD you know what I'm talking about. Now I don't know if she was thinking along the lines that I'm about to discuss, but I figure I would express the thought in Christian terms. And when I say Christian I'm speaking of Jesus' words and not necessarily the general philosophies of the religion. Here goes:
"Keys" to the Kingdom-
The "key to the cause" is always underneath. We must take responsibility for what is and "be the change which we want to see in the world" (Alanis, Gandhi, Michael Jackson, etc.) When we all jump on this train, cooperation is inevitable because we have common goals and unity of will, even in our diversity of personality. How is this possible? How can we achieve unity of will to bring about a more perfect world? In part by looking upon both our inner and outer realms as provinces of The Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is a current reality in that it potentially (already) resides in the personal experience of man, but its outer realization (The Kingdom on Earth) is consequent upon both the spiritualization of the soul and the yielding of its fruits in the lives of other men. This is the concept of fellowship and brotherhood - we are all sons of the One Father on Paradise. Alanis often talks about the "inner spirit," and it is the striving for the enthronement of this Divine Spirit that brings these 2 possible kingdoms about. See, the Divine Spirit is Our Father himself, whom we worship and emulate. We want to do his will; He is the King. Doing the Father's will will naturally bring about peace on earth because all our actions will be tempered by the true love of our fellows, who are on the same train as our selves. We are all going to the same place , we just have to decide our destination. So do Alanis proud. Strive for Self-realization and the perfection of your spirit. No more "clique-forming" or "heart-blocking". Let's stop "waging war" and "jumping ship". Why don't we just steer the ship to a better place?
"This song speaks to my belief that instead of my focusing on systematic stuff that shows up out there (wars between nations, what's happening in the government, the governmental structure itself, what's happening out there) that I'd much prefer to put my energy into shifting what's going on in here. Trusting that the shifts that happen here will inevitably show up as a mirror out there. So while there are some really generous people who are focusing on shifting so some of the symptoms help human beings, my general focus usually turns towards taking as much responsibility for my own humanness so that I can be more loving frankly and I trust that that shows up out there and collectively as we are all shifting, the planet shifts as we do." Alanis - Nissan Live Sets on Yahoo! Music
I just heard this song on VH1. Me likes!
This sounds like a political song to me. I think she's directing it to humanity itself about how we can change the world ourselves by doing our part. And I, for one, totally agree. =]