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.
Twice I turn my back on you
I fell flat on my face but didn't lose
Tell me where would I go
Tell me what led you on I'd love to know
Was it the blue night
Gone fragile?
Was it both men
In wonder steady gone under?
Was it the light ways
So frightening?
Was it two wills?
One mirror holding us dearer now
I thought I had an answer once
But your random ways swept me along
Colossal signs so I got lost
With so many lovers singing soft
Was it the blue night
Gone fragile?
Was it both men
In wonder steady gone under?
Was it the light ways
So frightening?
Was it two wills?
One mirror holding us dearer now
I fell flat on my face but didn't lose
Tell me where would I go
Tell me what led you on I'd love to know
Was it the blue night
Gone fragile?
Was it both men
In wonder steady gone under?
Was it the light ways
So frightening?
Was it two wills?
One mirror holding us dearer now
I thought I had an answer once
But your random ways swept me along
Colossal signs so I got lost
With so many lovers singing soft
Was it the blue night
Gone fragile?
Was it both men
In wonder steady gone under?
Was it the light ways
So frightening?
Was it two wills?
One mirror holding us dearer now
Lyrics submitted by julie_wulie, edited by Defelin, smallwonderrobot, AmberBell, youneverknewme
Twice Lyrics as written by Fredrik Daniel Wallin Erik Oskar Bodin
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Hunnybunbunny - I completely agree. I definitely think if you watch the video it does makes a little bit more sense.
This is what I think:
"Thought I had an answer once,but your random ways swept me along. Colossal signs so I got lost, with so many lovers singing soft."
I think the song is saying that when she left she thought that she had made the right choice. Each lover had a way of showing their love and she got lost in what they truly meant. "Colossal signs so I got lost."
At the end of the video she realizes that they were only pretending to serenade her or that such affair are only short lived. She hears the "lovers singing soft" and she hopes it is the one whom she betrayed. As she reaches the top of the mountain, I get the feeling that she realizes its not the man she truly loves. Now it is her holding unto him like he always had "one mirror holding us dearer now." The other men holding her close whom she doesn't love and her holding the man she truly loves close.
This is just my take on the song,of course I could be wrong. What I do know though, is that this song is simply magical!
Maybe she's singing to love. By cheating she turns her back on to loves, twice (Twice I turn my back on you). She may be asking love who to choose "Tell me where would I go". She thought she was fine with one man but love made her fall for another, "But your random ways swept me along"
It becomes a lot clearer to me if you look at it this way.
im not quite sure what it means but it's a gorgeous song. the chords are just magic...
If you watch the music video its a tad easier to see what the song is about. This is what I think its about:
"Twice I turn my back on You. I fell flat on my face but didn't lose.": She's cheated with this man more than once even though both times it was harder for her to live without him.
"Tell me where would I go. Tell me what led you on I'd like to know." She knows this guy takes good care of her and she can't make it without them yet she still betrays them. She also questions why he keeps taking her back despite her constantly leaving him.
Many times she also mentions "Both men" and "Many Lovers singing soft" which I think means her having multiple affairs behind the "good-guy's" back.
Twice I turn my back on you I fell flat on my face but didn't lose
I think that this song is about how she doesn't know what she wants to be with this guy but she is cheating because of some insecurity. She knows she is hurting the other guy who she is with or knows cares but maybe it's lust.
Tell me where would I go Tell me what led you on I'd love to know
that is about how she is talking about her frustration with the guy she is with because she knows she wants this other guy who knows she is in a relationship.
Was it the blue night Gone fragile Was it both men In wonder Steady gone under
To me its like she is talking about like getting with the lover and it was a product of both of the guys like her loving one and lusting the other. But they both like don't know exactly whats going on but the one that is "steady" the boyfriend whathave you is the one that is like submissed to what is going on and is not given the attention.
Was it the light ways So frightening Was it two wills One mirror holding us dearer now
Was it how she is like playing these two guys and she is scared because she is torn. and like one will is to be with the lover the other is to be with the steady guy. And one of them was like hey look at where we are look at "what we are doing?"
Thought I had an answer once But your random ways swept me along Colossal signs so I got lost With so many lovers singing soft
She is saying that the first guy in the mix was the one she thought was the answer like the one she loed and then the other guy came along and was dynamic and like exciting. And after that she was like in love in someways with both.
Inclosing: This is going on with me I am the steady guy that once seemed so like crazy and dynamic and watching the video with the puppets made me think about how like she really likes the bird who represents the one who truly cares about her. And he thought the present would make the girl love him but it didn't she was just entranced by the flutist. And even though she dreams about how the bird are happy flying around. And at the end it doesn't matter she is still entranced by the flutist.
Great song. Subtle lyrics worth contemplating.
I think it is dangerous to assume that video speaks for the song. The song likely came first, and the interpretation of the video direct might be no more valid than your or my take, and might be further blurred by injection of the the video directors own voice, so I think the song should be analyzed on its own. The video in and over itself is also excellent and deserves it own analysis... but the lyrics are much more of a puzzle.
What is great about this song is that it is unclear who the singer is addressing. In fact she may be addressing one subject {that is singing to, say, her lover(s) } during the verses and addressing another subject {say herself} during the chorus. There are a couple interpretation which might fit..
Thought I had an answer once But your random ways swept me along Colossal signs so I got lost With so many lovers singing soft
The video makes it easier to understand. A bird giving a gift to the singer is a truly astounding gift as the bird is immortal and it's gift is precious beyond anything the singer is likely to get from someone else.
As precious a gift, the bird cries because not only does it know it was rejected twice, it knew the gift would also be rejected later.
The world rains tears.
We later see the singer ponders on the betrayals while the singer rests at the base of a tree. As it is in our daily life, the singer is again drawn to the beautiful but false music of the flute player. The flute player is a mortal skeleton whose "musical" gift, although alluring, can not compare to the superb gift that the immortal bird offered so freely. The gift was right there for the signer's taking. So sad.
In my opinion the part where she mentions about the two men is not about her cheating him, but rather about his duality. Because of his demon "In wonder steady gone under"...
Her question is regarding what lead him on to easily go on without her after she turned her back on him, obviously without feeling so, that's why she fell flat on her face.
Was it the blue night Gone fragile Was it both men In wonder steady gone under Was it the light ways So frightening Was it two wills One mirror holding us dearer now.
But even if turned her back on him, she continued looking towards the past trying to find the answer
Thought I had an answer once But your random ways swept me along Colossal signs so I got lost With so many lovers singing soft.
I dont know what this song means either... i love the song though
I agree with a lot of the interpretations about being town between two lovers. I think the video shows you the the girl knows she's happy and free with the bird, but the skeletal flutist just keeps her entranced. She can't be free with him, but when she's around him nothing else matters. She drops her present she took with her, losing herself to the skeleton once more, as he rains on their parade.