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.
I saw the sign, a faded stoplight up ahead
I crossed the line ‘cause I was caught in the middle
Caught in the middle
Long empty road on damaged tyres with shallow tread
So far to go, I might have lost it a little
Lost it a little
Don't you stop me now
I'm nowhere near my destination
Don't you shut me down,
‘cause I don't want to rest
[CHORUS] Like a maniac, I sprinted way off track,
then took the long way back
Racing at full speed ahead
Now I'm taciturn, I felt the crash and burn
The point of no return
Will I be fighting for breath forever?
High empty walls, the buzz of tube lights never fades
My shadow falls and now I'm lost for a little
Lost for a little
Try to relax: you may experience delays
I know the facts, but now I'm caught in the middle
Caught in the middle
Don't you lock me out
I'm sure I know the combination
Fragments drift about,
but suddenly they're gone
[CHORUS]
Burning up, breaking down
Don't want to be on the edge all the time
Don't want to be flaring up, freaking out
Don't want to be half awake, half alive
Just want to be me
Breaking up, burning down
Don't want to be off the edge, out of time
Don't want to be falling down, flaking out
Don't want to be half asleep, half alive
Just want to be free
I close my eyes and turn out the lights,
‘cause somebody closed this road
And I can't drive, ‘cause now there's nowhere to go
I close my mind, and mine is the night
Mine is the longest wait
And here I'll stay 'til the stoplight eventually fades
Don't you keep me down
I'm nowhere near my destination
Don't you stop me now,
‘cause I don't want to rest
Like a maniac, I sprinted way off track,
then took the long way back
Racing at full speed ahead
Now I'm taciturn, I felt the crash and burn
The point of no return
Will I be fighting for breath?
[CHORUS]
I crossed the line ‘cause I was caught in the middle
Caught in the middle
Long empty road on damaged tyres with shallow tread
So far to go, I might have lost it a little
Lost it a little
Don't you stop me now
I'm nowhere near my destination
Don't you shut me down,
‘cause I don't want to rest
[CHORUS] Like a maniac, I sprinted way off track,
then took the long way back
Racing at full speed ahead
Now I'm taciturn, I felt the crash and burn
The point of no return
Will I be fighting for breath forever?
High empty walls, the buzz of tube lights never fades
My shadow falls and now I'm lost for a little
Lost for a little
Try to relax: you may experience delays
I know the facts, but now I'm caught in the middle
Caught in the middle
Don't you lock me out
I'm sure I know the combination
Fragments drift about,
but suddenly they're gone
[CHORUS]
Burning up, breaking down
Don't want to be on the edge all the time
Don't want to be flaring up, freaking out
Don't want to be half awake, half alive
Just want to be me
Breaking up, burning down
Don't want to be off the edge, out of time
Don't want to be falling down, flaking out
Don't want to be half asleep, half alive
Just want to be free
I close my eyes and turn out the lights,
‘cause somebody closed this road
And I can't drive, ‘cause now there's nowhere to go
I close my mind, and mine is the night
Mine is the longest wait
And here I'll stay 'til the stoplight eventually fades
Don't you keep me down
I'm nowhere near my destination
Don't you stop me now,
‘cause I don't want to rest
Like a maniac, I sprinted way off track,
then took the long way back
Racing at full speed ahead
Now I'm taciturn, I felt the crash and burn
The point of no return
Will I be fighting for breath?
[CHORUS]
Lyrics submitted by Allfadir, edited by Octavarium64
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