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.
In this shadow, I shrink and it knows
I can't move. It is making me cold.
And it grows in my stomach like mold.
It keeps me just sick enough to stay home.
Kill the lights. Curtains cover closed blinds.
Build a wall of stone and steel that will never come down.
Let the dust colonize just like James the first.
There will be no blood this time.
In silence, I'm yours. Twice dead-bolt the doors.
I've been followed by a face marked with pain.
It came close once and he just learned my name.
Every day he grows taller, he looks down at my heart,
and through my throat, he could reach in and pull me apart.
It gets worse when he contacts my eyes.
He can see right through to everything that blackened my veins
and his sounds resonate up and down,
like a march through me, this battlefield,
there's just not much left, so silence the rest.
In this shadow, I shrink and it knows
I can't move, I can't sleep.
Terrified by my own bloodshot eyes.
So, I'll wait here and pray.
I prayed that I was all wrong about prayer.
And I do know that this is truly tired.
It still grows in my stomach like mold.
It keeps me just sick enough to stay home, all alone.
I can't move. It is making me cold.
And it grows in my stomach like mold.
It keeps me just sick enough to stay home.
Kill the lights. Curtains cover closed blinds.
Build a wall of stone and steel that will never come down.
Let the dust colonize just like James the first.
There will be no blood this time.
In silence, I'm yours. Twice dead-bolt the doors.
I've been followed by a face marked with pain.
It came close once and he just learned my name.
Every day he grows taller, he looks down at my heart,
and through my throat, he could reach in and pull me apart.
It gets worse when he contacts my eyes.
He can see right through to everything that blackened my veins
and his sounds resonate up and down,
like a march through me, this battlefield,
there's just not much left, so silence the rest.
In this shadow, I shrink and it knows
I can't move, I can't sleep.
Terrified by my own bloodshot eyes.
So, I'll wait here and pray.
I prayed that I was all wrong about prayer.
And I do know that this is truly tired.
It still grows in my stomach like mold.
It keeps me just sick enough to stay home, all alone.
Lyrics submitted by William_B., edited by MatSkippa
In My Stomach Lyrics as written by Derek Grant Daniel Andriano
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song embodies the struggle of the artist in his relationship with God.
The first verse is the artist struggling with guilt. He compares guilt as "growing like mold."
In the second verse the artist desires solitude and makes reference to James the First, probably King James of England (1566-1625) who was described as "The wisest fool in Christendom" for several publications made by the monarch including: Daemonologie-(1597), True Law of Free Monarchies-(1598), and Basilikon Doron-(1599)
The third verse references a "face marked with pain" which probably references the iconic image of Jesus Christ being crucified. The artist makes note that "he came close one" meaning there was a previous moment in his life where was almost converted, but the artist now concedes that he is completely transparent to God, hence "Through my throat, he could reach in and pull me apart."
The fourth verse continues to describe the artist's transparency to God.
The fifth verse encompasses the artists personal turmoil as he deals with his guilt in contrast with God's gaze into his heart. He alludes to the desire of repentance by wishing that he "was all wrong about prayer" meaning that he had perhaps previously not believed in God and therefore dismissed the power of prayer altogether. He then concedes that he is growing weary of either his guilt, or his resistance to God in the statement "I do know that this is truly tired."
He finishes the song without resolution, only that his guilt is still growing in his stomach like mold.
This is the best song ever.
hey I think I got a few words mixed up so if you have any corrections just tell me
this song is so amazingly good but you got the chorus quite wrong it's actually:
Kill the lights curtains cover closed blinds build a wall of stone and steel that we'll never come down. Let the dust colonize just like James the First there will be no blood this time in silence i'm yours twice deadbolt the doors.
and it's a "face marked with pain" and it's "he gets wise when he contacts my eyes"
Does anyone have any idea what this song means? It is a hard one to figure out.
To me i think this song is about birth, that's what i got out of it.
Interesting. Every time I've ever listened to this song I've always thought it was about a terminal death. The first time I heard this song I was reading the book 'The Death of Ivan Ilyich' and the main character could feel the death building inside him, and he is terrified. <br /> <br /> Anyway, amazing song.
I've tried to figure out what this song is about and my main thought is depression, although it could also be about cancer. No matter what, this song gets stuck in my head for days sometimes. Love Dan Andriano's voice.
Personally I think it;s about Alcoholism, and the desperation a man has upon realization:
"In this shadow I shrink and it knows I can't move, it is making me cold and it grows in my stomach like mold it keeps me just sick enough to stay home."
I know from personal experience that you just want to be alone, everything around you feels so dark. After a while, you can feel in pass through it, even in the lining of your stomach, it's a terrible feeling.
"Kill the lights curtains cover closed Blinds build a wall of stone and steel that we'll never come down. Let the dust colonize just like James the First There will be no blood this time in silence i'm yours Twice dead bolt the doors"
You just don't want to move, you don't want to get up, dust collects, your room feels like a prison, one you don't want to leave, you CAN'T leave it. Going out just causes you pain.
"I've been followed by a face marked with pain. He came close once and he just learned my name. Everyday grows taller it looks down at my heart and trough my throat could reach in and pull me apart."
Your face is marked with your grief, externally you are a ruined, tired person. Inside there might be something that knows what's wrong. But every day gets longer, you drink more, it goes down your throat and helps your grief pull you apart.
"He gets wise when he contacts my eyes. He can see right through to everything that blackened my veins and his sounds resonate up and down like a march through me this battle field. There's just not much left so silence the rest."
Someone tries to help him and he rejects it; it's his problem, he can just drink it away, he doesn't need anyone else. The drink just numbs the pain, pushes it away.
"In this shadow I shrink and it knows I can't move I can't sleep. Terrified by my own bloodshot eyes so I'll wait here and pray. I prayed that I was all wrong about prayer. I do know that this is truly tired."
He becomes desperate; whether for help or death, he prays to whatever to just make it all stop. But he's been doing this for so long, he's so tired, staying in the darkness, falling so far is simply so...hard.