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.
Oh how easily they forget no anchor to the past
Cut the blood supply and hope the heart beats itself to death
My ribcage is now my own, still feels like your arms net clothed in salt
How'd I let it go this far?
It happens faster than you could ever think
From always and forever to never again in less than a blink
The river runs until it's dry
But I die spittin' my last drip into it's mouth to keep it alive
Long drives, wide eyes, and your smilin' face
You dance I drink, let's waste the night away
They say you always know right away
But you can't foresee the sand being pulled into the sea under a tidal wave
Secrets sneak out when you're asleep
Comin' from a queen's mouth, talk isn't all that cheap
I'm now a lone flame searching for a purpose
Setting fires everywhere I go, can't avoid the burns
We share pain
You took me by the throat and made me understand the world as if I were you and I couldn't breathe
And you can lead a horse to fresh water but you can't teach it how to be okay when you decide to leave
I'm lost, there's no one to protect
I got so used to bein' sheltered from the rain that always followed you
It's not my first time, actually it's nothin' new
But that doesn't make it any easier to get through
The snow won't melt, smoke won't clear
Turned hope inside out a thousand times tryin' to see if it was ever anything more than dressed up fear,
But the two go hand in hand you can't have one without the other bein' there
I'm barely breathin' waitin for these screams to end
Beggin' a god I don't believe in to let me sleep so I can dream again
We went through thick and thin
Came out separate on the other end
But please know no matter what you'll always have me as a friend
And I finally know
Your crime is your pride and your past is my only dose
I'm goin' crazy outa my control
But there's nothin' I can do, I have no choice but to let it go
Each day gets a little less intense
No longer feel like the skins standin' on my chest
You made me more me, and I won't forget the times you helped my find my feet
When I was buried in my head
Thank you, for givin' what you had to give
Takin' what you had to take,
And makin' me believe in you.
Even though I might be gone forever there will always be a place in my brain that'll think of you.
You look so graceful when you're flyin'
Keep goin', there's a lot of world that you haven't seen,
You have my best wishes, even if only in silence, you deserve everything that you've ever dreamed.
The snow melted right when the smoke cleared,
I turned love inside out a thousand times tryin' to see if it was ever anything more than the will to persevere,
but the two go hand in hand, the clouds surrounding you eventually will clear.
I can breathe I found contentment in the end,
Tellin' a god I don't believe in to go to sleep so I can think again.
We went through thick and thin,
Came out separate on the other end,
But please know no matter what you'll always have me as a friend.
Cut the blood supply and hope the heart beats itself to death
My ribcage is now my own, still feels like your arms net clothed in salt
How'd I let it go this far?
It happens faster than you could ever think
From always and forever to never again in less than a blink
The river runs until it's dry
But I die spittin' my last drip into it's mouth to keep it alive
Long drives, wide eyes, and your smilin' face
You dance I drink, let's waste the night away
They say you always know right away
But you can't foresee the sand being pulled into the sea under a tidal wave
Secrets sneak out when you're asleep
Comin' from a queen's mouth, talk isn't all that cheap
I'm now a lone flame searching for a purpose
Setting fires everywhere I go, can't avoid the burns
We share pain
You took me by the throat and made me understand the world as if I were you and I couldn't breathe
And you can lead a horse to fresh water but you can't teach it how to be okay when you decide to leave
I'm lost, there's no one to protect
I got so used to bein' sheltered from the rain that always followed you
It's not my first time, actually it's nothin' new
But that doesn't make it any easier to get through
The snow won't melt, smoke won't clear
Turned hope inside out a thousand times tryin' to see if it was ever anything more than dressed up fear,
But the two go hand in hand you can't have one without the other bein' there
I'm barely breathin' waitin for these screams to end
Beggin' a god I don't believe in to let me sleep so I can dream again
We went through thick and thin
Came out separate on the other end
But please know no matter what you'll always have me as a friend
And I finally know
Your crime is your pride and your past is my only dose
I'm goin' crazy outa my control
But there's nothin' I can do, I have no choice but to let it go
Each day gets a little less intense
No longer feel like the skins standin' on my chest
You made me more me, and I won't forget the times you helped my find my feet
When I was buried in my head
Thank you, for givin' what you had to give
Takin' what you had to take,
And makin' me believe in you.
Even though I might be gone forever there will always be a place in my brain that'll think of you.
You look so graceful when you're flyin'
Keep goin', there's a lot of world that you haven't seen,
You have my best wishes, even if only in silence, you deserve everything that you've ever dreamed.
The snow melted right when the smoke cleared,
I turned love inside out a thousand times tryin' to see if it was ever anything more than the will to persevere,
but the two go hand in hand, the clouds surrounding you eventually will clear.
I can breathe I found contentment in the end,
Tellin' a god I don't believe in to go to sleep so I can think again.
We went through thick and thin,
Came out separate on the other end,
But please know no matter what you'll always have me as a friend.
Lyrics submitted by conoroberst123
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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.
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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This song is about a tragic breakup and the aftermath, and from the sounds of it, it's a fairly amicable breakup (he wishes her well, wants to remain friends, etc). In other words, Eyedea and this girl were "meant to be," but some irresolvable conflict split them apart. From "secrets sneak out when you're asleep," it sounds like she probably cheated on him or did something behind his back that permanently broke his trust.
Anyway, this song is straight up gut-wrenching. Definitely one of the most emotional songs I've ever heard. "Oh, how easily they forget no anchor to the past..." What a perfect introduction.
I don't detect any undertones of addiction or heroin in this track; that's "Burn Fetish" for sure, though. Everyone seems to be misinterpreting the following line: "They say you always know right away But you can't foresee the sand being pulled into the sea under a tidal wave"
This is not referring to addiction. Rational people usually agree that addiction is a slippery slope and sets in insidiously. This line is about how people think you should just intuitively know when a relationship is failing, but in reality, a relationship might have a latent flaw that manifests at exactly the right moment to screw everything up.
Here's the best part: "You made me more me, and I won't forget the times you helped my find my feet When I was buried in my head Thank you, for givin' what you had to give Takin' what you had to take, And makin' me believe in you. Even though I might be gone forever there will always be a place in my brain that'll think of you. You look so graceful when you're flyin' Keep goin', there's a lot of world that you haven't seen, You have my best wishes, even if only in silence, you deserve everything that you've ever dreamed."