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.
If I could have one wish
If iIcould have some say I'd keep you far from home
I'd roll back both my sleeves
I'd dig under your skin
I'd fix your shattered bones
Hold on
This may hurt you when I tell you of the truth
We don't get two lives to live
It's true
The only fault I've found in you is not being free to take what I would give
If I could bend your pain into something good
Make you a prouder man
If I could rough you up then save you with good luck
And show you hope again
Hold on
You weren't meant to suffer so very long
Leaving love that's gone has never been a sin
Hang tight
The only fault you have tonight is shutting down so cold 'til I break in
Oh
Sad young man
I think I need you for reasons I don't know
I pledge myself to winter season
So it's prefectly on course but in the end it has to snow
If I can make you stay
Convince you you'd be lost if we were torn apart
If it remained unclear between the two of us
Which one would be the one to break the other's heart
Hold on
This will floor me differently than any drug that's washed me into sleep
It's true
The only fault I'll take from you is how to run from what you wish to keep
If iIcould have some say I'd keep you far from home
I'd roll back both my sleeves
I'd dig under your skin
I'd fix your shattered bones
Hold on
This may hurt you when I tell you of the truth
We don't get two lives to live
It's true
The only fault I've found in you is not being free to take what I would give
If I could bend your pain into something good
Make you a prouder man
If I could rough you up then save you with good luck
And show you hope again
Hold on
You weren't meant to suffer so very long
Leaving love that's gone has never been a sin
Hang tight
The only fault you have tonight is shutting down so cold 'til I break in
Oh
Sad young man
I think I need you for reasons I don't know
I pledge myself to winter season
So it's prefectly on course but in the end it has to snow
If I can make you stay
Convince you you'd be lost if we were torn apart
If it remained unclear between the two of us
Which one would be the one to break the other's heart
Hold on
This will floor me differently than any drug that's washed me into sleep
It's true
The only fault I'll take from you is how to run from what you wish to keep
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
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Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Magical
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How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
GORGEOUS SONG! I think this song is about a clandestine affair that the singer is having with someone who is married or already in a relationship (probably married). I think the singer is really in love with the man she's seeing secretly and he is in love with her too but he can't bring himself to leave his wife/significant other. And I think that this is kind of talking about their last night together.
Wow, this song speaks to me A LOT. I think it's about the other person being unattainable/unavailable, but not necessarily marriage... just running from something good be it because of fear, or whatever, but still running.
i don't think it necessarily means about someone whose unavailable due to cheating... i think it could mean he just can't give her what she deserves. he can't give her everything she needs, and so he's pushing her away...creating walls, making himself and his feelings unavailable to her. the relationship could very well be falling apart, and this is her way of wanting to "dig into him, bend his pain, and turn him into something good"...something what she deserves. she loves him. she doesn't want to let him go yet. she knows he should leave and it would be the best for the two of them...but she wants to "convince him to stay", but she knows, deep down, if they were to stay together, eventually they'd be "torn apart" due to one of them breaking eachother's heart somehow.
he runs from something he wishes to keep. he wants her, but know he doesn't deserve her and is letting her go.
I agree it is a gorgeous song. I love the melody and the beautiful rawness of it. I would say I agree more with the last two interpretations of the song- specifically the last one because it went into detail.
Perhaps it's one of those songs where depending on what situation you find yourself- the meaning has room to bend.
But none the less the song is most definitely a gorgeous one.