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.
Packed and all eyes turned in, no one to see on the quay
No one waving for me, just the shoreline receding
Ticket in my hand, I'm thinking "Wish I didn't hand it in"
'Cause who said sailing is fine?
Leaving behind all the faces
That I might replace, if I tried on that long ride
Looking deep inside but I don't want to look so deep inside yet
Sit down, sit down on the prow to wave bye
There might not be another star further on the line
Look out, look out at each town that glides by
And there's another crowd to drown in crying eyes
And see how that light you love now just won't shine
There might just be another star that's high and far in some other sky
We sing, "Is that marionette real enough yet
To step off of that set to decide what her hands might be doing?
Ruining the play, too, in the ensuing melee escape"
We packed up all of our bags
The ship's deck now sags from the weight of our tracks
As we pace beneath flags black and battered
Rattling our swords in service of some faded foreign lord
And we sail out on orders from him but we find
The maps he sent to us don't mention lost coastlines
Where nothing we've actually seen has been mapped or outlined
For we don't recognize the names upon these signs
And every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide
Well, we have lost our way, nobody's gonna say it outright
Just go la la la-la-la-la la-la-la-la
La-la la-la-la la-la-la la
Oh-oh oh
La la la-la-la-la la-la-la-la
La-la la-la-la la-la-la la
Oh-oh-oh oh
La la-la-la-la la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la la
La la-la-la-la la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la la
La la-la-la-la la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la la
La la-la-la-la la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la la, la
No one waving for me, just the shoreline receding
Ticket in my hand, I'm thinking "Wish I didn't hand it in"
'Cause who said sailing is fine?
Leaving behind all the faces
That I might replace, if I tried on that long ride
Looking deep inside but I don't want to look so deep inside yet
Sit down, sit down on the prow to wave bye
There might not be another star further on the line
Look out, look out at each town that glides by
And there's another crowd to drown in crying eyes
And see how that light you love now just won't shine
There might just be another star that's high and far in some other sky
We sing, "Is that marionette real enough yet
To step off of that set to decide what her hands might be doing?
Ruining the play, too, in the ensuing melee escape"
We packed up all of our bags
The ship's deck now sags from the weight of our tracks
As we pace beneath flags black and battered
Rattling our swords in service of some faded foreign lord
And we sail out on orders from him but we find
The maps he sent to us don't mention lost coastlines
Where nothing we've actually seen has been mapped or outlined
For we don't recognize the names upon these signs
And every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide
Well, we have lost our way, nobody's gonna say it outright
Just go la la la-la-la-la la-la-la-la
La-la la-la-la la-la-la la
Oh-oh oh
La la la-la-la-la la-la-la-la
La-la la-la-la la-la-la la
Oh-oh-oh oh
La la-la-la-la la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la la
La la-la-la-la la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la la
La la-la-la-la la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la la
La la-la-la-la la
La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la la, la
Lyrics submitted by error_to_brain, edited by dvorax, sugarnum, bfreeby, inverarity, Kozumou, promachos
Lost Coastlines Lyrics as written by Will Robinson Sheff
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The "Lost Coastlines" refer to their moral boundaries disappearing as a result of constant travel (i.e. never having to remain in a place long enough to deal with the consequences of their actions).
And who here hasn't found themself in the middle of "waves wild and wide" deliberating whether or not they should give in to their lustful side? Anyone? I didn't think so. Sometimes you just have to say La, La... La, La, La...