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.
When I came down the dawn poured into me
I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
My stolen gold inside the emperors tomb
Now painting rainbows on my ugly face
I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
But I ascend and serve my feverish need
Within the confines of such chemistry
It's the way I see
Everything I need
It's no way to be
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
My face blew up at such a casual sight
The smattered colors of ecstatic fright
The rush above me to oblivion
Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen
Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
How come it takes some people so damn long
He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
The citrus drawing out the scene in stains
Watch the basin drain
As your life lines wane
And you cant explain
As your friends complain
You've caused all this pain
And you proudly shame
Your whole families name
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
And now I've hit the mark
Stabbing at the dark
And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars
Let this be our little secret
No-one needs to know we're feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up and keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
My stolen gold inside the emperors tomb
Now painting rainbows on my ugly face
I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
But I ascend and serve my feverish need
Within the confines of such chemistry
It's the way I see
Everything I need
It's no way to be
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
My face blew up at such a casual sight
The smattered colors of ecstatic fright
The rush above me to oblivion
Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen
Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
How come it takes some people so damn long
He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
The citrus drawing out the scene in stains
Watch the basin drain
As your life lines wane
And you cant explain
As your friends complain
You've caused all this pain
And you proudly shame
Your whole families name
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
And now I've hit the mark
Stabbing at the dark
And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars
Let this be our little secret
No-one needs to know we're feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up and keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
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So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
This song is definitely about empowerment. Lines abound about "higher", "strong", "power".
I am not sure if a girl is involved or not, but I absolutely think a major theme of the song is overcoming your flaws. When you can finally be comfortable with yourself, it can be a very powerful experience. He mentions his old "salty wounds", disgracing the family name and also how he can now ignore the people staring at his "scars".
Most people, unfortunately, spend most of their time worrying about what others think of them. It is only natural, in a way, because we all have such a desire to be accepted and loved by others. A great revelation comes, however, when some realize that by not worrying and just being themselves completely, they will naturally attract that attention and love.
May not be exactly what the song is about, but that's what I got out of it so it's my songmeaning at least.
I had that exact revelation a few weeks ago. It was amazing and powerful. Now just listening to the song I thought thats what it was about before i'd even looked into the lyrics. Spot on mate
I listened to the song for the first time in full length this morning and read the lyrics, thinking this as well! I think this is a pretty accurate interpretation!
REALLY !? i mean REALLY !!!??? THAT is accurate to you !? You fuckin people REALLY need to get out more. Just because you WANT this song to mean that because it makes YOU feel good and because YOU can relate to THAT interpretation DOES NOT make it an accurate interpretation and MOST FUCKING DEFINITELY doesnt MAKE the song about what YOU retards WANT it to be about. I mean, why the FUCK would THAT have ANY GOD DAMN THING to fucking DO with keeping it a FUCKING SECRET. That is the NAME of the FUCKING SONG dipshits. Yeah, "Man, I feel so good and empowered and I don't care what other people think. So much so in fact, that I am going to keep it my LITTLE SECRET". Fucking idiots
I feel that it's pretty much about coming out of the closet. "Painting Rainbows across my ugly face against this cardboard neighborhood's disgrace" can be seen as going against the mold of the non-progressive neighborhood and embracing the rainbow. "Within the confines of such chemistry" can be seen as a blow to the old argument that being gay goes against human nature and chemistry. "But I feel alive and I feel it in me" talks about how even though he will hide it and people don't want to see him this way, he still knows who he is on the inside.
"Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong, how come it takes some people so damn long" talks about how he feels good about the way he is, but he doesn't understand why others take so long to accept him even though he himself is happy about it. "Watch the basin drain as your life lines wane and you can't explain as your friends complain you've caused all this pain and you proudly shame your whole families name" remarks how he is losing a lot being this way. His family and friends don't like the fact that he is gay, but he doesn't care what they think.
"Mother I can tell what you've been thinking staring at the stars on your ceiling thinking once there was a power that you were wielding" has a line about the stars on her ceiling, which can be seen as a symbol for the plastic stars on kids ceilings, and how she feels she has lost her son. She doesn't know where she went wrong.
So yeah, that's my take on it.
Yes!
Being pansexual myself, eeyup, this is a wonderful interpretation. And my personal interpretation of one of the verses you didn't mention to accompany yours:<br /> <br /> THIS VERSE IS IN THE PAST TENSE, And it could be interpreted as the moment the narrator realized something was "off".<br /> <br /> "My face blew up at such a casual sight" - Becoming incredibly happy when you see a friend you love (as a friend, that is) of the same gender. Overly happy, at that.<br /> <br /> "The smattered colors of ecstatic fright"- That happiness you feel becomes "ecstatic fright", which is definitely the feeling you get when you see someone you have a crush on.<br /> <br /> "The rush above me to oblivion"-This "rush" happens as you recognize what you are feeling, recognize that you clearly aren't straight, and realize that you are quite suddenly heading "toward oblivion" - toward total alienation from most of your family.<br /> <br /> "Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen"- Describing how, in that moment, it seems as though everything just became a little brighter (love tends to do that), and bringing home the idea that this is a moment which will forever be highlighted in your memory (halogen is used in neon signs).<br /> <br /> Of course, sadly, people are probably right that the song was intended to be about drugs. Screw what the song's actually about! How about we allow it to have a decent, somewhat happy meaning, what the song SOUNDS like it should be?
To me, this song is about going manic ("higher and higher and higher")and dealing with all of the garbage in your life. Mundane life seems even more senseless when you're manic and everyone else just seems to miss the point. Also, I really get the part about "can't help ignore the people staring at my scars" since my face is covered in acne marks. In short: everyone else's opinions don't matter so much when you feel ecstatically, deludedly, wonderfully manic.
The word manic will probably be misinterpreted by most readers, but I dig what you're saying.
when I came down the dawn poured into me - waking up, needing your first hit to start off your day / or last night's binge catching up with you I shook 'em up the walls came crumbling - describing how he feels my thin skin trembling with these salty wounds - arms are raw from all of the trackmarks my stolen gold inside the emperor's tomb - heroin inside the needle
now painting rainbows on my ugly face - taking that pill/shot turns the shitty outlook into colourful and warm feelings :) I built this cardboard neighborhood's disgrace but I ascend and serve my feverish need - he understands he is addicted within the confines of such chemistry - explains the addcition is "confined" in the chemistry, so he's stuck inside the addiction.
It's the way I see - he only sees what goes through the drug first, drugs > everything Everything I need - it's everything he needs, right? It's no way to be - but he can't live like this, he's not sure how to get out though.
let this be our little secret - don't tell anyone no one needs to know we're feeling - that we're shooting up, feeling amazing higher and higher and higher - getting fucked up and feeling awesome higher and higher and higher - fucking awesome.
but I feel alive, oh, I feel it in me - now that I have my shot/pill, I'm fucking great up and up we keep on climbing - lets get higher, we don't want to go back to that morning state higher and higher and higher higher and higher and higher
my face blew up at such a casual sight - the shot/pills are making boring things seem amazing and alive again. the smattered colors of ecstatic fright - drug effect reference, he's describing the outside world to be frightening with euphoria the rush above me to oblivion - The rush of the drugs makes him feel amazing outlining wet sidewalks in halogen - I guess this sort of means he's in a daze walking along.
have you ever felt so goddamn strong? - these drugs give you so much confidence, it's amazing how come it takes some people so damn long - hurry up and load the needle he turned to squeeze the lemon juice to rain - Squeezing the lemon juice preparing the shot the citrus drawing out the scene in stains - The needle is loaded
Watch the basin drain - referencing his life going down the drain, or something important As your life lines wane - his life is ending if he continues And you can't explain - he feels great, he doesn't give a fuck, unless he hasn't had a shot ofc. As your friends complain - his friends see him with a sober mind, he's going downhill.
You've caused all this pain - the drug use is hurting people around you And you proudly shame - you understand you're hurting the people around you, you can't stop though Your whole family's name - your family is traumatized by your use, people think low of your family now.
mother, I can tell what you've been thinking - he knows his mother disapproves staring at the stars on your ceiling - she thinks about it at night, helplessly thinking once there was a power that you were wielding - he thinks she feels that she needs to control him, but she can't but now I've hit the mark, - common for hitting the vein properly. stabbing at the dark and I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars - people look at his trackmarks, he hates it.
the song title is little secrets, not little secret!
but either way, avt12 is definitely right, its about a teenager and friends experimenting with drugs...he likes the way he feels when he's on drugs, "higher and higher", but his parents don't know, hence the secrecy. the "mother i can tell what you've been thinking...thinking once there was a power you we're wielding" line shows that the mother may be starting to catch on to the fact that she doesn't have control over her child anymore.
i really like the rebellious and somewhat darker lyrics, because the song sounds so euphoric, yet the euphoria in the song is all drug induced and there is in fact a bit of sadness behind it, seeing as the lyrics involve a kid leaving the family and getting in trouble, "shaming the family's name" and having people stare at his scars...etc. its so perfectly adolescent. and the song feels like a drug as well, i feel like i'll never get sick of hearing it.
Just FYI, the chorus of this song is sung by school children from PS 22 in Staten Island, New York. (A New York City public school.)
The kids are fifth-graders.
With that in mind, it's unlikely that these are overt drug references -- there would be an enormous backlash from the school, the PTA and the parents.
Also unlikely is the explanation that he's talking about ecstasy, since that is a drug associated with the mid-90s rave scene and it's really not a drug that's widely used anymore. The "secret" part also doesn't jibe: When someone is on ecstasy, it's pretty obvious and would be very difficult to hide from people.
Personally, I think the song is about a natural high and natural feelings, but I will agree with some of the people here who think the lyrics may have double meanings and may be alluding to a more low-key drug like certain amphetamines, or even opiates, that result in a feeling of euphoria and are easy to hide. That would also make sense with some of the more regretful lines, where he seems to lament what's happening and what he's doing to himself.
Like any song, it's open to interpretation, but I think any argument that this is an overt drug song has to be taken into consideration with the fact that these are 10-year-olds singing on the chorus and the song was done with the cooperation of teachers at a public school.
I'm gonna agree with you xytophoros. Not about drugs per se.<br /> <br /> When I listened to this song, it rang with me, for my reasons. I thought it sounded a LOT like somehow surviving the ghetto, surviving drugs, surviving the existence of one's past to get out of an abusive home; in the end of the song he's talking about shaming the family name? well, trust me, in abusive homes, that shaming could be the fact that you flip your parents off and walk out the door, it could be that walk out with a significant other that 'shames' them, anything - to me, this is speaking of breaking out of abuse. But note that I am not saying that's what they meant to say, I am saying it's what I wanted them to be saying.<br /> <br /> That's my story, and like the opiate user above, I can totally see where he's coming from, because certainly this song could sing that to someone's soul. Or anything when you come to think of it. That means it is BRILLIANT. <br /> <br /> And see? that is the beauty. I agree that it's not overly about drugs, but hey, it could be to someone who needs this song to inspire them to stop. It could be about smoking every morning. It could be about being addicted to your pain pills, it could be about Acid (esp. the part about the citrus, LOL) It could be anything. <br /> <br /> That is why this is a masterpiece.
Amazing song. Good job on the lyrics, but "its the way to be" should be "its no way to be"
it's definitely about independence and emancipation from parents, facilitated by recreational drugs. i knew this even before i heard the song because one of the band members said exactly that on triple j radio in australia, when manners was the 'album of the week'.
look at the opening line "when i came down the dawn poured into me". ever left a club at 6am and been greeted by sunlight? not the best feeling when you're coming down.
sorry guys, it's not love, it's ecstasy.
Whoops, okay, wait-- "Now painting rainbows on my ugly face."
According to the album leaflet thing, the lyrics are:
when I came down the dawn poured into me I shook 'em up the walls came crumbling my thin skin trembling with these salty wounds my stolen gold inside the emperor's tomb
now painting rainbows on my ugly face I built this cardboard neighborhood's disgrace but I ascend and serve my feverish need within the confines of such chemistry
let this be our little secret no one needs to know we're feeling higher and higher and higher higher and higher and higher
but I feel alive, oh, I feel it in me up and up we keep on climbing higher and higher and higher higher and higher and higher
my face blew up at such a casual sight the smattered colors of ecstatic fright the rush above me to oblivion outlining wet sidewalks in halogen
have you ever felt so goddamn strong? how come it takes some people so damn long he turned to squeeze the lemon juice to rain the citrus drawing out the scene in stains
mother, I can tell what you've been thinking staring at the stars on your ceiling thinking once there was a power that you were weilding but now I've hit the mark, stabbing at the dark and I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars
I believe it's about amphetamines and keeping it a secret, even from your friends. Here's why:
when i came down the dawn poured into me = up all night and coming down when the sun came up my fists kept trembling with these salty wounds = amphetamines are a mix of salts and make you jittery my stolen gold inside the emperors tomb = the drug is like gold to him
now painting rainbows on my ugly face = get creative but might not do rational things i built this cardboard neighborhood's disgrace ----> (see rest of my interpretation) but i ascend and serve my feverish need = he gets high and scratches the itch within the confines of such chemistry = drugs are chemicals
its the way i see everything i need its no way to be = it's a way of life, but it's not pretty
let this be our little secret no one needs to know were feeling higher and higher and higher = no one really knows he's high but himself or the person he's high with
but i feel alive and i feel it in me up and up i keep on climbing higher and higher and higher = he's getting higher and feels the drug's euphoria
my face blew up at such a casual sight = he spotted a cop, but since he's high it's startling the smattered colors of ecstatic fright = cop lights behind him are scary, but the high intensifies the rush above me to oblivion = the rush he gets is so intense outlining wet sidewalks in halogen = car headlights bulbs are halogen, and it's lighting up the sidewalks
oh have you ever felt so strong = the drug makes you feel invincible how come it takes some people so damn long = his high has a quick onset he tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain the citrus drawing out the seasons stains = cop tried to get him to admit he's high
watch the basin drain = he's caught as your life lines wane = there's only a few people to reach out to and you cant explain = he can't explain why he wanted to do the drug to begin with as your friends complain = they are pissed he was driving high and didnt tell them
youve caused all this pain and you proudly shame your whole families name = his arrest or penalty is public
mother i can tell what youve been thinking staring at the stars on your ceiling thinking once there was a power that you were wielding = thought she had control over her son's actions and now ive hit the mark = he finally got found out staring at the dark = nowhere left to go and i cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars = forgetting the past and ignoring people that hold it against him (scars might be literal if he's talking about injecting the drug)
This is just my perception. I don't know if these guys are into drugs or not.
This is my interpretation: I think he is talking about earth "earths voice"<br /> <br /> when I came down the dawn poured into me <---- creation<br /> I shook 'em up the walls came crumbling <----earthquakes and distruction<br /> my thin skin trembling with these salty wounds <----the fiery surface <br /> my stolen gold inside the emperor's tomb <--- not too sure<br /> <br /> now painting rainbows on my ugly face <---- The earth still not formed the way of today<br /> I built this cardboard neighborhood's disgrace <------not sure<br /> but I ascend and serve my feverish need <----the perseverance of earth coming from a hostile enviornment to what it is today.<br /> within the confines of such chemistry <---- the elements used to create this place<br /> <br /> let this be our little secret <--- As far as we know no other being knows about us here on earth.<br /> no one needs to know we're feeling <--- no one needs to know we can feel (earth having feelings as we are part of earth)<br /> higher and higher and higher<br /> higher and higher and higher<br /> <br /> but I feel alive, oh, I feel it in me <--- the life on earth (living things and the life inside of earth)<br /> up and up we keep on climbing <---- creating mountains <br /> higher and higher and higher<br /> higher and higher and higher<br /> <br /> my face blew up at such a casual sight <---- could be another time of distruction <br /> the smattered colors of ecstatic fright <---- given<br /> the rush above me to oblivion <---- the speed of death from this distruction<br /> outlining wet sidewalks in halogen <--- The group of halogens is the only periodic table group which contains elements in all three familiar states of matter at standard temperature and pressure<br /> <br /> have you ever felt so goddamn strong? <---- the power of earth<br /> how come it takes some people so damn long <---- people who fuck up the earth<br /> he turned to squeeze the lemon juice to rain <--- not sure<br /> the citrus drawing out the scene in stains<br /> <br /> mother, I can tell what you've been thinking <--- mother earth<br /> staring at the stars on your ceiling <--- the dying sun that will soon come<br /> thinking once there was a power that you were wielding <--- overtaken by the cycle of the solar system.<br /> but now I've hit the mark,<br /> stabbing at the dark <--- no more sun to light earths skies<br /> and I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars <---- not sure but could be that at this time of destruction human kind may be looking at a destroyed earth from another planet...<br /> <br /> This is my thoughts but Im digging deep. I can see it being about drugs too but if I wrote it I would be speaking of earth. Enjoy>
you must not know anything about drugs if you think this song is about amphetamines. also, there is no reference to trouble with the cops in this song. if you knew anything about hallucinogens, it would be obvious to you that he's describing his trip. i've fucked with plenty of amphetamines, and i promise you it's nothing like this song.
I agree with everything, but i think its E and not meth. Great analysis though
and E=speed + psychedelic
So I'm sitting here on Adderall right now and listening to this song on repeat. To me, it DEFINITELY sounds likes an amphetamine drug-related song... more of my interpretation is posted separately.<br /> <br /> "but i ascend and serve my feverish need,<br /> within the confines of such chemistry" -I don't need to take Adderall, but it makes my manic Monday workload fly by. It changes my chemistry by producing more dopamine making me concentrate longer.<br /> <br /> "let this be our little secret<br /> no one needs to know were feeling<br /> higher and higher and higher" - No one really knows I'm taking it because Adderall already has a bad rap. And it definitely gives me a good buzz.<br /> <br /> "but i feel alive and i feel it in me<br /> up and up i keep on climbing<br /> higher and higher and higher" - I'm accomplishing so much right now, I'm climbing higher and higher and higher on this corporate ladder.