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.
He's had enough
He couldn't take anymore
He found a place in his mind
And slammed the door
No matter how they tried
They couldn't understand
They washed and dressed him
Fed him by hand
Yeah! I've left the world behind
I'm safe here in my mind
I'm free to speak with my own kind
This is my life, this is my life
I'll decide not you
Withdrawn he sat there
Staring into space
No sign of life
Would flicker on his face
Until one day he smiled
It seemed as though with pride
The wind kissed him goodbye
And then he died
Yeah! I've left the world behind
I'm safe here in my mind
I'm free to speak with my own kind
This is my life, this is my life
I'll decide not you
Keep the world with all its sin
It's not fit for livin' in
Yeah! I will start again
It can take forever, and ever
Whatever, whenever, but I'll still win
How many like him
Are they still
Who to us all
Seem to have lost the will
They lie in thousands
Lank and lost
Is knowledge worth this bitter cost
Beyond the realms of death
He couldn't take anymore
He found a place in his mind
And slammed the door
No matter how they tried
They couldn't understand
They washed and dressed him
Fed him by hand
Yeah! I've left the world behind
I'm safe here in my mind
I'm free to speak with my own kind
This is my life, this is my life
I'll decide not you
Withdrawn he sat there
Staring into space
No sign of life
Would flicker on his face
Until one day he smiled
It seemed as though with pride
The wind kissed him goodbye
And then he died
Yeah! I've left the world behind
I'm safe here in my mind
I'm free to speak with my own kind
This is my life, this is my life
I'll decide not you
Keep the world with all its sin
It's not fit for livin' in
Yeah! I will start again
It can take forever, and ever
Whatever, whenever, but I'll still win
How many like him
Are they still
Who to us all
Seem to have lost the will
They lie in thousands
Lank and lost
Is knowledge worth this bitter cost
Beyond the realms of death
Lyrics submitted by SergeF2007
Beyond the Realms of Death Lyrics as written by Robert John Arthur Halford Leslie James Binks
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
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.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This is a song on the JP album Stained Glass that "apperently" coused 2 teens to kill them selves, it talkes about the listener feeling melencholy but during the end open there minds to feel open to themselves and to apresheate life.