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'm going on a date tonight
To try to fall out of love with you
I know, I know this is a crime
But I don't know what else to do
My love, you're in a magazine
My love, you're doing fine, you're on TV
You pull my heart out and then you run away
From Chicago to Cleveland, you made me pay
You made me pay
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother
On the bus radio
"Fifty ways to leave your lover alone"
I laughed at the irony
But life is stupid, the irony all lost on me
It got lost on me
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother
You challenged me to write a love song
Here it is, I think I got it wrong
I focused on the negative
The pain was too much of an incentive
Always my incentive
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother
But she don't know just how far I'd go
Would I walk for a hundred miles
For a glimpse of your northern smile?
To try to fall out of love with you
I know, I know this is a crime
But I don't know what else to do
My love, you're in a magazine
My love, you're doing fine, you're on TV
You pull my heart out and then you run away
From Chicago to Cleveland, you made me pay
You made me pay
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother
On the bus radio
"Fifty ways to leave your lover alone"
I laughed at the irony
But life is stupid, the irony all lost on me
It got lost on me
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother
You challenged me to write a love song
Here it is, I think I got it wrong
I focused on the negative
The pain was too much of an incentive
Always my incentive
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother to hear you sing
When you're lucid, you're the sweetest thing
I would trade my mother
But she don't know just how far I'd go
Would I walk for a hundred miles
For a glimpse of your northern smile?
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Light Up The Sky
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No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
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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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Sheer pop brilliance! This song makes you want to go fall in love and have your heart smashed into little pieces. The hook grabs you by the back of the neck and tosses you around the room like a rag doll. I do believe the song is a nod to Murdoch and his "lucid" line. Apart from Tracyanne, when Stuart write songs it is the "sweetest thing", so I see her point.