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 remembered black skies
The lightning all around me
I remembered each flash
As time began to blur
Like a startling sign
That fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
The distance in your eyes
Give me reason
To fill this hole
Connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide
There was nothing in sight
But memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide
The ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in
Between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Across this new divide
In every loss
In every lie
In every truth that you'd deny
And each regret
And each goodbye
Was a mistake to great to hide
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason
To fill this hole
Connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide
Across this new divide
Across this new divide
The lightning all around me
I remembered each flash
As time began to blur
Like a startling sign
That fate had finally found me
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross
The distance in your eyes
Give me reason
To fill this hole
Connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide
There was nothing in sight
But memories left abandoned
There was nowhere to hide
The ashes fell like snow
And the ground caved in
Between where we were standing
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Across this new divide
In every loss
In every lie
In every truth that you'd deny
And each regret
And each goodbye
Was a mistake to great to hide
And your voice was all I heard
That I get what I deserve
So give me reason
To prove me wrong
To wash this memory clean
Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes
Give me reason
To fill this hole
Connect the space between
Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies
Across this new divide
Across this new divide
Across this new divide
Lyrics submitted by Krylon, edited by gunmaster0099
New Divide Lyrics as written by Chester Charles Bennington Brad Delson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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.
Plastic Bag
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
he's apparently singing about himself being in the middle of a world of conflict, could be with someone, some belief, we don't know. (I remembered black skies / the lightning all around me)
there's been specific events that he remembers, and they all seem to mesh into one as time continued on (I remembered each flash / as time began to blur)
he had finally been awoken from the trance he was in. (Like a startling sign / that fate had finally found me)
there's some figure on the other side of this conflict, opposing him, accusing him for whatever reason. (And your voice was all I heard That I get what I deserve)
according to the conflict, anything that he could have/did hold dear were abandoned and destroyed (There was nothing in sight / but memories left abandoned)
The damage had been dealt. no one to blame his actions on. ashes symbolizing a volcano erupting, the climax of the situation had been reached. and now he's experiencing the fall-out. (There was nowhere to hide / the ashes fell like snow)
the official divide had been made. no more conflict. just a barrier between beliefs of him and his aggressor/opponent/conflictor (And the ground caved in / between where we were standing)
now that the divide had been made, he questions why he should change/conform his ways/belief to the other side's and to fill the divide that has separated them. (So give me reason / to prove me wrong / to wash this memory clean Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes Across this new divide)
he pretty much makes his defense for himself for why he stays on his side of the issue here. this stanza is probably the greatest arguement whether it is another one of LP's break-up songs or not (In every loss / in every lie In every truth that you'd deny And each regret / and each goodbye was a mistake to great to hide And your voice was all I heard That I get what I deserve)
once again he asks why he should fill the gap that was made. which is also the main chorus (So give me reason / to prove me wrong / to wash this memory clean Let the floods cross the distance in your eyes Give me reason / to fill this hole / connect the space between Let it be enough to reach the truth that lies Across this new divide )
i hope this helped someone.
I like your interpretation of this song... pretty meaningful
Glad I could help! :)
@vex390 Very well thought out! You have a gift.