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 settled down
A twisted up frown
Disguised as a smile, well
You would have never known
I had it all
But not what I wanted
Cause hope for me
Was a place uncharted
And overgrown
You'd make your way in
I'd resist you just like this
You can't tell me to feel
The truth never set me free
So, I did it myself
You can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out a little more
More
More
More, more
Open your eyes like I opened mine
It's only the real world
A life you will never know
Shifting your weight
To throw off the pain
Well You can ignore it
But, only for so long
You look like I did
You resist me just like this
You can't tell me to heal
And, it hurts remembering
How it felt to shut down
Can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out a little more
More
More
More, more
Truth never set me free
The truth never set me free
The truth never set me free
So, I'll do it myself
You can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out
Can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out
More
More
More
More, more
A twisted up frown
Disguised as a smile, well
You would have never known
I had it all
But not what I wanted
Cause hope for me
Was a place uncharted
And overgrown
You'd make your way in
I'd resist you just like this
You can't tell me to feel
The truth never set me free
So, I did it myself
You can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out a little more
More
More
More, more
Open your eyes like I opened mine
It's only the real world
A life you will never know
Shifting your weight
To throw off the pain
Well You can ignore it
But, only for so long
You look like I did
You resist me just like this
You can't tell me to heal
And, it hurts remembering
How it felt to shut down
Can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out a little more
More
More
More, more
Truth never set me free
The truth never set me free
The truth never set me free
So, I'll do it myself
You can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out
Can't be too careful anymore
When all that is waiting for you
Won't come any closer
You've got to reach out
More
More
More
More, more
Lyrics submitted by thoseguiltyeyes
Careful Lyrics as written by Joshua Neil Farro Hayley Nichole Williams
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Here is what it says for "Careful" in Hayley Williams Lyric Journal
For pety reasons, I lived under a rock in a corner for over half of my teenage life. I closed myself off in order to sustain relationships with a limited amount of people. I thought I could keep on their good side if I just did this or that. I have since liberated myself to the freedom of following my heart instead of chasing others. When I see people I'm close to living the same prison-style life that I was forced into it hurts my heart. It makes me wonder why sometimes its so hard to clear the glass and look outside your little bubble. Go out and find adventure. Live like it's your last day. I have a favorite song for this idea "One Life, One Chance" by H2O, but now I can sing my own version.
Eh, I was heading in that direction.<br /> <br /> Good lyrics though...I can definitely relate to her position.
definitely my favourite off brand new eyes :)
I fuckin' totally agree!<br /> in fact, it's songs like this that makes me actually take notice of this band at last, a band that's DIFFERENT from those Top-40 bands!<br /> damn the music arrangement AND the vocal...they totally ROCK!!! <br /> hell yeah time to jump around again!!
this is an amazing song!!!!!!!!!! its like she is saying that you have to reach for what you want it wont just come to you and if you want to be free you can't rely on anything you need to do it you self but in all you need to be careful. it is basically a song about life.
"The truth never set me free, so I did it myself". I think this is a song about someone who was in a lot pain due to past experiences, and was "shut down", and was waiting for it to go away, but decided that she couldn't wait around anymore, she had to fix things herself.
Now she is preaching to everyone else, or maybe just a friend, and trying to get them to do the same. That's why she says "You look like I did, you resist me just like this: you can't tell to heal". This person is now in the same position she was.
Okay, so, THIS is the song off BNE. I found a song by Paramore, same name, and it is them, but it's a completely different song and I've tried looking for it everywhere to see what its really called, etc., and it's like it doesn't exist. It's tripping me out! I wanna know wtf I found, lol. Did this happen to anyone else?
DevorUs! Yes I was wondering the same thing!? On my I-pod I have 2 song entitled Careful. Both by paramore and according 2 my i-tunes both off the album brand new eyes. I can't find the other either. Only the 1 above. The other goes something like this..... <br /> I'm caught dancing with a lighter<br /> I'm caught, your caught we're caught, dancing with a lighter?? Is that the 1 you got also?? Lol weird I'm confused haha
Renfue - Dancing with a liar
wow their sound has matured. but very good. excellent... i think it's about how you learn from the scars you receive.
Paramore just Rocks plain and simple. Haley williams is a great artist she could put out I song that said almost anything and i'd listen 2 it haha but I'm sure glad she does sing songs with such conviction and great lyrics always. YOU GO GIRL| LOL
i think the song is about having a friend that refuses to accept christ... the begining verse is talking about how she used to think the exact same and think christ couldnt do anything for her. the second verse yalks about how she realiazed jesus is the truth and the only way, hence "Open your eyes Like I opened mine" and how it keeps saying "the truth never set me free ill do it myself" is the excuse her friend keeps giving her for not accepting jesus, and her old excuse too. and the chorus, "You can't be too careful anymore When all that is waiting for you Won't come any closer You've got to reach out a little more" is saying god has done everything to show her, and if she just reaches a little she can rceive all gods love. that what it means to me anyways...
@musicblaringforjesus The teachings of Jesus Christ cause child rape and are false though.
Am I the only one who thought this was about an eating disorder?
I settled down A twisted up frown Disguised as a smile, well You would have never known
This person is hiding their depression behind a smile, and nobody ever figured it out.
I had it all But not what I wanted Cause hope for me Was a place uncharted And overgrown
This person supposedly had it all, (good family, good home, money) but also demons living in their head {but not what I wanted} They think there is no hope.
You'd make your way in I'd resist you just like this
The demons made their way into this person's brain, and they would resist but they are starting to agree
You can't tell me to feel The truth never set me free So, I did it myself
Maybe someone else knows about this, and they're trying to help this person, but they're resisting it. The "truth", (just eat healthy and exercise and you'll lose weight) wasn't working, so they found their own method (eating disorder)
You can't be too careful anymore When all that is waiting for you Won't come any closer You've got to reach out a little more More More More, more
This person isn't being careful, because they want to lose weight. And you've got to try harder (reach farther) or it won't work.
Open your eyes like I opened mine It's only the real world, A life you will never know
This person sees the world as it is, in it's full ugliness. But other people have a hard time seeing it for some reason, and some will never figure it out.
Shifting your weight To throw off the pain Well You can ignore it But, only for so long
This one just SCREAMS eating disorder to me. "Shifting your weight to throw off the pain" Losing weight so they demons in your head won't attack you so much. You try to ignore them and live a happy life, but they get to you, and break you down.
You look like I did You resist me just like this
Maybe someone else who went through the same thing knows, and they're remembering how they once were, and how they refused help.
You can't tell me to heal And, it hurts remembering How it felt to shut down
Again, here, this person is refusing help, and maybe they were lower, and they're remembering how it was when they were completely cut off to the world, and just totally depressed.
This is just how I saw it.
I never saw it like this, just vaguely related to it for some reason...I've been battling an eating disorder myself and didn't realize why this song connected with me so much until I read this. Thank you...
sooo amazing.
i know about the band's alleged beliefs, but does anyone else see this as anti-christian?<br /> <br /> seeing christianity as "shifting your weight to throw off the pain" and in response "you can ignore it, but only for so long" referring to what she sees as "the real world", which a christian "will never know". the biggest thing that jumped out at me was "the truth never set me free, so i did it myself". God never set her free, as promised, so she is taking matters into her own hands. i don't know, it seems sort of blatant to me.
professorput, I agree with you. It's really sad but I think that's what it's about. :( We should pray for Hayley to stop this and become a Christian "again" though if she were ever a real one I don't think this would have happened.