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.
Paranoia is in bloom
The PR transmissions will resume
They'll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down
And hope that we will never see the truth around
(So come on)
Another promise, another seed
Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed
And all the green belts wrapped around our minds
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined
(So come on)
They will not force us
And they will stop degrading us
And they will not control us
And we will be victorious
(So come on)
Interchanging mind control
Come let the revolution take its toll
If you could flick a switch and open your third eye
You'd see that we should never be afraid to die
(So come on)
Rise up and take the power back
It's time the fat cats had a heart attack
You know that their time is coming to an end
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend
(So come on)
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
And we will be victorious
(So come on)
(Hey, hey, hey, hey)
(Hey, hey, hey, hey)
(Hey, hey, hey, hey)
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
And we will be victorious
(So come on)
(Hey, hey, hey, hey)
The PR transmissions will resume
They'll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down
And hope that we will never see the truth around
(So come on)
Another promise, another seed
Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed
And all the green belts wrapped around our minds
And endless red tape to keep the truth confined
(So come on)
They will not force us
And they will stop degrading us
And they will not control us
And we will be victorious
(So come on)
Interchanging mind control
Come let the revolution take its toll
If you could flick a switch and open your third eye
You'd see that we should never be afraid to die
(So come on)
Rise up and take the power back
It's time the fat cats had a heart attack
You know that their time is coming to an end
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend
(So come on)
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
And we will be victorious
(So come on)
(Hey, hey, hey, hey)
(Hey, hey, hey, hey)
(Hey, hey, hey, hey)
They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
And we will be victorious
(So come on)
(Hey, hey, hey, hey)
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Light Up The Sky
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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"
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"
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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.
Great version of a great song,
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
It means that Muse is not a fan of tyranny or forced control into the collective (social justice) but rather believes that we must rise up to face it AND fight it, in the name of our personal liberty. I know that the UK has a long history of social control and tyranny and we are just now learning to love it here in the US. I think this song is directed here (as is very trendy with UK and Aussie bands...at least when Bush was pres). Regarding the fat cats line; You could interpret as directed towards big business or capitalism but they are out for profits, not outright control over every detail of the peoples lives. That kind of power and control over the citizens is the mainstay of large central government and the bubble-dwelling elitists that manipulate it. I would think he is directing that towards the establishment fat cats (read as: barney frank/nancy pelosi/chris dodd/harry reid and yes even the chosen one himself). I would add some republicans in there as well but since they aren't in power at this time and haven't really been in the last 3 years...I would say this anti-tyranny song is most likely directed at the current over-reaching, power grabbing, liberty destroying control whores currently running the show both here and abroad. The ones telling us every day to shut up, sit down and get down with the progressive landslide that is swallowing us up whole. I may be personalizing too much to assume it is geared towards the US, as it is equally applicable to the current socialist agenda in the UK and the rest of Europe (no you can't have that breast cancer treatment, because we can't provide it to everybody...take two aspirin and call me when you reach stage 4, we have some great suicide drugs that provide ample savings). However, I have to ask myself where they plan to make more money on touring and cd/ipod sales...here or in the UK. Marketing 101.
Oh my God, factfreak, I love ya!! You said it all perfectly...it's just perfect. The very first time I heard this song, the line that caught my ear was "They will not force us". Of course, interpretation is left to the individual...and like you, that is exactly where my mind went - the "unprecedented" power trip that is going down in D.C. Each time I heard the song, I really focused to see if the rest of the lyrics fit my theory. The only line I questioned was the 'fat cats' one...but believe it or not, even then I "chose" to interpret it as the clowns in Congress. What a disgrace they are. Geez, you posted this in August, you probably won't even see my reply. I think we might need to discuss further - it's always good to find like-minded people. Yahoo IM kelliekg44 - chat me up!
I think all our political biases are going to affect our interpretation of a political song. I'm slightly left-of-centre so disagree that this is anything to do with the Obama adminsitration, and would point out as evidence that when Glenn Beck started claiming that the song expresses support for his view, the band asked him to stop playing it and dissociated themselves from those opinions.<br /> <br /> Most Europeans aren't afraid of the word "socialism" or the idea of government running or at least regulating parts of the private sector where there isn't perfect competition, and don't consider the government to be dead set against their interests like so many Americans do. Universal healthcare is accepted by all civilised nations and has broad support: who are the fat cats, the 50%+ who want health costs reduced and shared, or the shareholders of medical insurance companies who want to go on raising premiums, cutting coverage, and taking bigger profits while people die of their conditions?<br /> <br /> The "fat cats" probably more likely refers to (to pick a couple):<br />
Too bad Matt is admittedly a leftist, economically and socially, so to say that their "Resistance" is in reference to resisting left-leaning government would be the exact opposite of what they actually believe. lulz
@ Darth Squirrel, Matt's actually an admitted libertarian - not a leftist / liberal / progressive.<br /> <br /> erato1.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/q-magazine-artists-of-the-century-2010-matt-bellamy-interview.jpg
ilve this girl or guy
Bravo! Spot on. However, that you cant add Republicans to the list is false. The establishment class has sold us out just as completely as Democrats. Bold and i love it! Even to the p oint of declaring t h e green movement as just another controling device. Truth hurts when it forces you to face t h e fact yiu have to t u rn off TMZ and put your iphone d o wn from time to ti m e and risk losing that else perhaps lose y o ur liberty.
@factfreak Just to name a few: Healthcare, housing/rent, electricity, gas/oil, cable, higher ed, travel, search engines/apps/virtual tools, Banking incl. home ownership, loans, are privately owned and operated. Only things most people need to survive. I really wish peoples' analysis in the U.S. that the largest corporations don't have immense control in our daily lives, and over the policies that effect our daily lives, would be reexamined. You're out of your mind if you don't realize that the whole political game is geared toward politicians supporting the largest corporations, right and left. <br /> <br /> Did you hear this one from Princeton? In reviewing over 1700 policy issues, they found: "Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence." Unless you think Princeton is too radical, the proof is in the pudding.