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.
Lay me down in a hearseback, it's where my new best look is at.
If I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and minor veins are mapped.
These tits not filled with milk, these cold bones wrapped in hunger
Like a bundle of sticks in a fire so slow it leaves them unburned, black and yearning.
Will this new year's see my rotting hair's release?
Will my new black book pull the sick from my deepest creases?
-A gift from The Maccabees to mom to me,
No more flier backs or receipts, using magazines for tables.
A girl's down bed and corresponding naked wings unable
When I felt my ribs come closing slow, a row of snakes set to strangle
I am survived
Lay me down in a hearseback, it's where my new best look is at.
If I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and minor veins are mapped
But you might find me in the white pages yet, my name is next to numbers
Like someone's father's father: left listed in the book of numbers,
Like someone's father's father: left listed in the book of numbers.
If I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and minor veins are mapped.
These tits not filled with milk, these cold bones wrapped in hunger
Like a bundle of sticks in a fire so slow it leaves them unburned, black and yearning.
Will this new year's see my rotting hair's release?
Will my new black book pull the sick from my deepest creases?
-A gift from The Maccabees to mom to me,
No more flier backs or receipts, using magazines for tables.
A girl's down bed and corresponding naked wings unable
When I felt my ribs come closing slow, a row of snakes set to strangle
I am survived
Lay me down in a hearseback, it's where my new best look is at.
If I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and minor veins are mapped
But you might find me in the white pages yet, my name is next to numbers
Like someone's father's father: left listed in the book of numbers,
Like someone's father's father: left listed in the book of numbers.
Lyrics submitted by plbats
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
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"
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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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.
Head > Heels
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“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
yoni obviously wrote most of these songs in the winter after new year's (see also january twentysomething)--
Will this new year's see my rotting hair's release? Will my new black book pull the sick from my deepest creases? -A gift from The Maccabees to mom to me, No more flier backs or receipts, using magazines for tables.
this means his mother got him a new black book for hannukah to write his lyrics in. no more flyer backs, or receipts, using magazines for tables. will it cure his depression this year? who knows, but he might go bald.
Good catch, I assumed 'gift from the Maccabees to mom to me' was referring to classically Jewish traits that were passed down genetically but I couldn't figure out which line could be a reference to some physical characteristic
This song sounds like writing letters to old friends you haven't heard from in a long time. That's not what it's about, but for some reason it just sounds like that. Like, the actual music.
Another song about surrendering to death. This one hits me like Light Leaves hits me, i.e. in a huge way. One of my favourites on the album, no doubt.
"If I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and minor veins are mapped."
"When I felt my ribs come closing slow, a row of snakes set to strangle."
So great.
what's the "slit a purse" action all about?
I think it's a reference to self-harm and suicidal tendencies. I think he's trying to rationalise his fear of death here - if he's tried and/or wanted to kill or hurt himself in the past, he's telling himself that he shouldn't be afraid of death coming to him. He muses on mortality a lot on this new record.
I think it's talking about sinning. What's done is done, he slit some purses and stole and his path is set (inner vains are mapped/cake is cooked). He just needs to accept what's coming to him.
It's a reference to sex. Think about it.
To elaborate, he's saying if he's fucked a few girls, he can't bitch about dying. He also uses body mapping in reference to death in By Torpedo Or Crohns ("will they map my skull and wrap my bones when my wig is gone, hmmm?").
Now I'm starting to think the slit purse is just referring to making money.
I'm wondering what the final part about the book of numbers is about. Something to do with being remembered after death in some manner?
Yeah, I think he trying to say that all he will be rembered by is the phonebook.. Is there a white pages phonebook though? Why wouldnt he say yellow pages, could it possibly be becasue yellow typically refers to cowards?
White pages is for people. Yellow pages is for businesses. But I agree that he is comparing the book of numbers to a phone book in that the Jews at Mt. Sinai were remembered by this book, he will similarly be remembered because of a 'book of numbers' in a way connecting him to his tradition.
The Jewish reference of the Maccabees makes me think the numbers mentioned in the last verse are a Holocaust reference.
Surely the Book of Numbers is a reference to the book of the bible, right?
i think the "book of numbers" is meant to have multiple meanings here, and i think that's what makes it a great line.
In the Bible, characters are usually introduced by saying who his father was, like "Abraham, son of Isaac, son of Jacob, son of so and so." I think that is what Yoni is referring to here.
Pretty sure the first part is:
"Lately down in a hearse back is where my new best look is at if I slit a purse or two then I can't curse if my cake is cooked and my nerve veins are mapped."