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've been around on the other side of innocence
Now we're waking up to AM radio
I follow fingers but I couldn't keep from laughing
Your body language said you knew that this would happen
I'm digging a hole for the days of the old
I'll put them two feet deep so I can reach 'em if I need 'em
Fingerprints show on the walls of my home
They're reading, "Turn off the radio, turn off the radio"
I will always remember
Making out 'til the sun went down
Counting stars from the hood of a car
Catching my friends as they were falling down
Rise and shine to a headache and a question
My keys were lost and my morals came up missing
Opportunities were open for the taking
I tried to leave but couldn't keep the floors from shaking
I'm digging a hole for the days of the old
I'll put them two feet deep so I can reach 'em if I need 'em
Fingerprints show on the walls of my home
They're reading, "Turn off the radio, turn off the radio"
I will always remember
Making out 'til the sun went down
Counting stars from the hood of a car
Catching my friends as they were falling down
Take me back to the ocean
Right before we had to drive away
We made a promise when we said goodbye
We swore it wouldn't be the last time
This is where the summer ends (where the summer ends)
No more clothes left, lie in the sand
It was good, no, it was amazing
Tell me that you won't, won't forget about me
I will always remember
Making out 'til the sun went down
Counting stars from the hood of a car
Catching my friends as they were falling down
Take me back to the ocean
Right before we had to drive away
We made a promise when we said goodbye
We swore it wouldn't be the last time
Swore it wouldn't be the last time, the last time
Now we're waking up to AM radio
I follow fingers but I couldn't keep from laughing
Your body language said you knew that this would happen
I'm digging a hole for the days of the old
I'll put them two feet deep so I can reach 'em if I need 'em
Fingerprints show on the walls of my home
They're reading, "Turn off the radio, turn off the radio"
I will always remember
Making out 'til the sun went down
Counting stars from the hood of a car
Catching my friends as they were falling down
Rise and shine to a headache and a question
My keys were lost and my morals came up missing
Opportunities were open for the taking
I tried to leave but couldn't keep the floors from shaking
I'm digging a hole for the days of the old
I'll put them two feet deep so I can reach 'em if I need 'em
Fingerprints show on the walls of my home
They're reading, "Turn off the radio, turn off the radio"
I will always remember
Making out 'til the sun went down
Counting stars from the hood of a car
Catching my friends as they were falling down
Take me back to the ocean
Right before we had to drive away
We made a promise when we said goodbye
We swore it wouldn't be the last time
This is where the summer ends (where the summer ends)
No more clothes left, lie in the sand
It was good, no, it was amazing
Tell me that you won't, won't forget about me
I will always remember
Making out 'til the sun went down
Counting stars from the hood of a car
Catching my friends as they were falling down
Take me back to the ocean
Right before we had to drive away
We made a promise when we said goodbye
We swore it wouldn't be the last time
Swore it wouldn't be the last time, the last time
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Light Up The Sky
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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.
Mountain Song
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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."
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
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.
i love when he says "so i can reach 'em if i need 'em" such a good sound other than that, awesome song! brings back memories from past summers :)