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.
Would you love me
If I told you I was born upstream
If I told you I come from money
White money
Would you love me
Would you love me
Well, I was born down
By a bad little river in a poor town
Where an indian-giver put a board out
It said "Boarding House"
Call him Scarecrow
He kept whores around
And I'd go there
I'd wait my turn on the broke stairs
And get me the girl with the gold hair
Aw yeah, leave your clothes there
On the folding chair
In that cold room
Your breath would twist just like ghosts do
You said, "Call me Dorothy in red shoes"
And the bed moved
The bed moved
The bed moved
Tracy, don't you wake that scarecrow tonight
Well, the man would come in
It's hard living right giving head when
The sad days of winter have set in
And the medicine for an addict is heroin
I'd find you there in the bath
We'd cook up your shit in a tin can
And you started calling me Tin Man
And we started making plans to begin again
Begin again
You saved a C note
Told me you felt like a seagull
Told me to meet at the depot
With the needle, then maybe we'd go
To Reno
Where you'd be my desert dove
And we'd find a way to make better love
Said, "Baby, that's how the West was won"
And the blood-red sun
Yeah, the blood-red sun
And the blood-red sun
Tracy, don't you wake that scarecrow tonight
Well, the man cries,
"Who gives a damn when a tramp dies?"
But I loved you there in the lamp light
With your bare thighs
And the halo of your hair alive
And all my lifelong
I'll never shake off your siren song
And all of your talk about dying young
With an iron lung and that crazy way
You said, "Simon,
I think I might stay here with Scarecrow tonight
Simon, I think I'm gonna stay here with Scarecrow tonight."
If I told you I was born upstream
If I told you I come from money
White money
Would you love me
Would you love me
Well, I was born down
By a bad little river in a poor town
Where an indian-giver put a board out
It said "Boarding House"
Call him Scarecrow
He kept whores around
And I'd go there
I'd wait my turn on the broke stairs
And get me the girl with the gold hair
Aw yeah, leave your clothes there
On the folding chair
In that cold room
Your breath would twist just like ghosts do
You said, "Call me Dorothy in red shoes"
And the bed moved
The bed moved
The bed moved
Tracy, don't you wake that scarecrow tonight
Well, the man would come in
It's hard living right giving head when
The sad days of winter have set in
And the medicine for an addict is heroin
I'd find you there in the bath
We'd cook up your shit in a tin can
And you started calling me Tin Man
And we started making plans to begin again
Begin again
You saved a C note
Told me you felt like a seagull
Told me to meet at the depot
With the needle, then maybe we'd go
To Reno
Where you'd be my desert dove
And we'd find a way to make better love
Said, "Baby, that's how the West was won"
And the blood-red sun
Yeah, the blood-red sun
And the blood-red sun
Tracy, don't you wake that scarecrow tonight
Well, the man cries,
"Who gives a damn when a tramp dies?"
But I loved you there in the lamp light
With your bare thighs
And the halo of your hair alive
And all my lifelong
I'll never shake off your siren song
And all of your talk about dying young
With an iron lung and that crazy way
You said, "Simon,
I think I might stay here with Scarecrow tonight
Simon, I think I'm gonna stay here with Scarecrow tonight."
Lyrics submitted by besubversive
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
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."
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Haunting isn't it? And so tragic that they talk of starting again but she can't pull herself away from the profession that pays for her habit.
I would suggest that rather than "Simon", he sings "silent, I think I might stay hear with Scarecrow tonight".
Silent seems more appropriate as it won't wake Scarecrow.
These guys, and I suspect Ian felice inparticular, write some awesome lyrics. Listen closely to Frankies Gun and a seemingly fun song becomes much darker. I've put my interpretation on this site, it really is extremely clever.
This and Ballad of Lou the Welterweight are my fave Felice Brothers' songs. The whole Yellow Brick Road movie that plays out here is awesome...and the cast of characters: Dorothy, Tin Man and the Scarecrow himself. It's the little details that really make it, things like "Aw yeah, leave your clothes there on the folding chair" which almost spells out the transient nature of the sex on offer along with the bleak functionality of the room in question. It's the basis of a whole novel yet it fits into a song perfectly. Such style and economy of writing. Definitely in my top 10 songs of all time.
I adore this song. One of my favorites ever. I can't wait to see the Felices' live!!
CORRECTIONS: "And the medicine for an addict is heroin" medicine for a mannequin. "And the halo of your hair alive" halo of your hair line "I'll never shake off your siren song" SILENT song.
This is a good song, although a bit sad...
The Felice Brothers are magnificent but this might just be their finest song. It's like early Tom Waits for the picture it creates...waiting on the broke stairs for the prostitute and the seediness of the folding chair for the punter's clothes. But what an idea 'call me Dorthy in red shoes' and then, one verse later he's; in a relationship with her and on their Yellow Brick Road he's become the Tin Man. But escape is never likely and the song ends with the idea that she's back with the scarecrow (the pimp)leaving him just with the memories:" But I loved you there in the lamp light / With your bare thighs / And the halo of your hairline / And all my lifelong / I'll never shake off your siren song..." Utterly magnificent.
WoW
Well, the man would come in It's hard living right giving head when<<<<<this has got to be a mistake change to : The sad days of winter have set in And the medicine for an addict is heroin
This song was written by Simon(E) Felice. The songs he sings are the ones that he composes, usually. When "Simon" is sung in the song, he really is singing Simon, not silent.
Personally I think Simone writes some of the more compelling songs that I love by the brothers. I read an interview where James and Ian discussed that Simone said this song was very truthful. There wasn't detail as to how or why, but take it for it is.
Probably my favorite part of the song here:
"maybe we'd go to Reno Where you'd be my desert dove And we'd find a way to make better love Said, "Baby, that's how the West was won"
This song was written by Simon(E) Felice. The songs he sings are the ones that he composes, usually. When "Simon" is sung in the song, he really is singing Simon, not silent.
Personally I think Simone writes some of the more compelling songs that I love by the brothers. I read an interview where James and Ian discussed that Simone said this song was very truthful. There wasn't detail as to how or why, but take it for it is.
Probably my favorite part of the song here:
"maybe we'd go to Reno Where you'd be my desert dove And we'd find a way to make better love Said, "Baby, that's how the West was won"