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'm letting go
To see if you'll hold on to me
I'm in doubt
Of what is thought and what is real
In our room
Between the shapes I thought I knew
A guillotine
A pillow with feathers like snow
I've come
To a listening post beyond your lines
I'm all ears
To gather clues and look for signs
But I can't hear
The song you sing while you try to soothe
Why are you whispering
While the bombs are falling?
Go easy on me
I can't help what I'm doing
Go easy on me
Oh, I can't help what I'm doing
Hello again
I buried you, where have you been?
My renegade
You came back from the labyrinth
Unlike me
You've looked for things that could be found
And the thread
That guides through black times
Go easy on me
I can't help what I'm doing
Go easy on me
Oh, I can't help what I'm doing
When thoughts
Had outnumbered spoken words
In the early hours
We failed to establish
Who was hurt
Most
To see if you'll hold on to me
I'm in doubt
Of what is thought and what is real
In our room
Between the shapes I thought I knew
A guillotine
A pillow with feathers like snow
I've come
To a listening post beyond your lines
I'm all ears
To gather clues and look for signs
But I can't hear
The song you sing while you try to soothe
Why are you whispering
While the bombs are falling?
Go easy on me
I can't help what I'm doing
Go easy on me
Oh, I can't help what I'm doing
Hello again
I buried you, where have you been?
My renegade
You came back from the labyrinth
Unlike me
You've looked for things that could be found
And the thread
That guides through black times
Go easy on me
I can't help what I'm doing
Go easy on me
Oh, I can't help what I'm doing
When thoughts
Had outnumbered spoken words
In the early hours
We failed to establish
Who was hurt
Most
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To me these words talk about a clear dynamic I regularly come to experience in my relationships.
I believe the singer is describing his personal stream of consciousness in the first stages of an uncertain romantic relation.
First the uncertainty and the insecurity make the protagonist act in a cautious, non-natural manner. He's "letting go" to see if the other will react and give a proof of commitment by reaching out for him. The singer is in need for someone to be there and care for him, showing affection and attachment, but he feels he can't ask for that directly perhaps because their affair is too young and this need, though legitimate, would scare the partner away.
The picture of him in the bedroom, probably lying next to the lover, feeling under pressure ("a guillotine") and distantly cold ("a pillow with feathers like snow") is a very strong image of the difficult situation he's going through. He's constantly "all ears", examining the other one's moves in order to avoid suffering by keeping everything defensive and retained. The fact that everything was probably one sided and experienced solely by the protagonist emerges in the words "unlike me you've looked for things that could be found". It is now clear that the partner was just acting naturally, living the relationship with ease and serenity, considering facts instead of personal fears.
The last lines conclude everything: a relationship that could have been something more was broken because one was hurt by his inner ghosts and the other one collapsed consequently to that, probably without being able to find a real reason for that.
When communication stops ("thoughts outnumbered spoken words"), trust disappears, intimacy fades and love is deemed to turn into pain.
Isn't it sad how human beings' immense desire for affection can lead them to act against that for the same reason?
@maganza Great analysis. Love your outlook on this song, thanks! :)
First off, I love Kings of Convenience. The acoustic style of their music is very soothing. Half of the songs on this album are melancholic, including this one. These songs are also my favorite because they spark my emotions.
Anyway, on to the song. I really think it's about a couple going through a rough patch in their relationship. The protagonist has retreated into his thoughts, instead of living in the moment with his partner (I'll refer to this parter as if she is a girl).
There is a theme in the song about a disconnect between himself and her. He is willing to "listen" to her, but just "outside her lines", meaning he can't agree with her or anything she might suggest. Rather, he is looking for signs to fix, but he is in denial, but he can't help it. The definition of renegade is someone who acts in a rebellious manner. He is unwilling to change. He can't hear her while his thoughts of the relationship run rampant.
I think the relationship ultimately ends. They grow silent when "thoughts outnumbered spoken words". They fought all night into the "early hours" of the morning. It seems they are focusing on all the wrong things. "Failing to establish who was hurt most." Who cares who was hurt most? That's not important, what's important is getting past the pain together, no matter who's pain was worse. But as a renegade, his is unable to get past this matter.
"Unlike me You've looked for things that could be found And the thread That guides through black times"
I really enjoy this verse. It captures the fragility of tough moments in a relationship. When times are tense, the relationship is really "hanging by a thread".
Very sad song, and captures part of a passionate relationship I was once in.
Happy listening,
Eric
Can someone please explain this song to me? I have a very vague idea of what it means, but can someone explain it to me with more detail?
arigato :D
I've heard that it can be a protest to a lot of the aggressions that can be seen around the world. And how there is not a lot of real talk and discussion, as there is silence and distrust-fullness.<br /> <br /> But I think it may be a smaller context than that. I think it's about a relationship that has reached a point were one person doesn't trust the other. And to gauge whether their suspicion is true they decide to test the other person.<br /> <br /> I'm letting go<br /> To see if you'll hold on to me<br /> I'm in doubt<br /> Of what is thought and what is real<br /> <br /> But the reaction they wanted doesn't happen. We'll call Glambeck the accuser here, looks for tells or clues that the other person has cheated. Every time they go to their bedroom they are plagued by thoughts of the others infidelity, liking it to a 'guillotine'. Finally the accuser snaps confronting the partner, bringing to light all of the thoughts and suspicions they have been holding in. The partner tries to soothe the other, but they aren't listening at this point.<br /> <br /> But I can't hear<br /> The song you sing while you try to soothe<br /> Why are you whispering<br /> While the bombs are falling?<br /> <br /> They begin to argue, the accuser lobs accusations and things start to get complicated(Labyrinth). The accuser looks at the other like a traitor calling them a renegade. While they are arguing the truth starts to dawn on the accuser that they have made a mistake, the accuser begins to really see the other person as they were before.<br /> <br /> Hello again<br /> I buried you, where have you been?<br /> My renegade<br /> You came back from the labyrinth<br /> <br /> Unlike me<br /> You've looked for things that could be found<br /> And the thread<br /> That guides through black times<br /> <br /> I think the accuser is inclined to being mistrust-full due to being hurt before. Saying-<br /> <br /> Go easy on me<br /> Oh, I can't help what I'm doing<br /> <br /> But the damage has been done, both grow quiet. By now it's already early morning.<br /> <br /> When thoughts<br /> Had outnumbered spoken words<br /> In the early hours<br /> We failed to establish<br /> Who was hurt<br /> Most<br /> <br /> Good lord that's long winded, sorry! T-T
OK DaitanGirl, I'll try to do my best, her it goes:<br /> <br /> In my opinion this song is about all the things we feel when we think we are falling in love, and we aren't sure what the other person feels and, of course, we are not quite sure about our own feelings. I think we have to keep in my the "go easy on my, i can't help what i'm doing" through the analisis, since it's a very important key of it.<br /> <br /> So first, we check the other person's feelings, try to see how she/he ( i'll use "she" for now on to refer to "the other person") feels, how close she is to us:<br /> <br /> I'm letting go<br /> To see if you'll hold on to me<br /> I'm in doubt<br /> Of what is thought and what is real<br /> <br /> I think this first verse is quite simple, he just trys to get some distance, to see how she reacts, if she feels something too, he will then notice. And again, gaining some distance will help him to see what he really feels, if its truly love ("real"), or just "thought".<br /> <br /> In our room <br /> Between the shapes I thought I knew<br /> A guillotine<br /> A pillow with feathers like snow<br /> <br /> I've come<br /> To a listening post beyond your lines<br /> I'm all ears<br /> To gather clues and look for signs<br /> <br /> But I can't hear<br /> The song you sing while you try to soothe<br /> Why are you whispering<br /> While the bombs are falling?<br /> <br /> Well, these verses are alittle more complicated, with some twisted metaphors, i'll do a quick analisis of them, don't think it would do that harm.<br /> "In our room", " Between the shapes I thought I knew", lets say (since the author will also use some war methaphors) friendly ground. He took some distance, and now, he is getting mixed signals (a guillotine and a pillow with feathers). But well, he is where he wanted to be "beyond your lines" (here there are the war metaphors i was talking, the next one is "bombs" :P), he came here to " To gather clues and look for signs ", what we were talking before, see how she feels about him. But he cannot understand her. " Why are you whispering, While the bombs are falling", shows us that he found something that he didn't expected.<br /> <br /> Go easy on me <br /> I can't help what I'm doing <br /> Go easy on me <br /> Oh, I can't help what I'm doing<br /> <br /> Well, chorus, this aims directly to the girl, he is asking her, to understand him. He is not sure about his feelings, and he doesnt know what he is really doing. And sorry if i put too much of myself here, but i think is important for the analisis: he is asking that, because maybe, he is truly in love, he doesn't want her to toy him, couse he will end hurt then.<br /> <br /> Hello again <br /> I buried you, where have you been? <br /> My renegade <br /> You came back from the labyrinth<br /> <br /> Second part of the song, i'll put a little more of myself here... maybe... (its hard not to link the song with our own life, or feelings... hope you'll understand)<br /> The thing is, he doesn't want to end hurt, and he's unsure, so he gets even more distant. He tries to forget her ("I buried you"), to move on. But some somehow, she keeps coming back, a renegade, she sorts all the obstacles he put between both, so he can forget her.<br /> <br /> Unlike me <br /> You've looked for things that could be found<br /> And the thread <br /> That guides through black times<br /> <br /> Hard verse this one, lets take it slow.<br /> They took diferent path, they always aimed to diferent things. I think he's always looked for love, while the thing she looked for was just sex, or i don't know, not-love for sure.<br /> Well two things are sure, first that he was after something unreacheable, and hers will lead her through "black times". I have to admit that i'm a little lost in this verse but we can agree that both had bad times when they are apart.<br /> <br /> When thoughts <br /> Had outnumbered spoken words <br /> In the early hours <br /> We failed to establish <br /> Who was hurt <br /> Most<br /> <br /> Not easy at all, what can i say about this verse?<br /> Maybe it's an explanation of what happened to them, they thought more than they spoke.<br /> They're not together, they look for different things, he tries to move on, she keeps coming back, why? Well, because at the begging they didn't talk to much about their feelings. One will never find what he's looking, the other will keep going throught "black times", whatever they are, so who was hurt the most??<br /> <br /> Well, i think that is all I can say for now, I hope you liked it and help you to understand the song in your very own way, and remember, keep in mind the chorus!!!