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.
If I showed my hand shaking like a leaf
You might not understand, but I bet you'll believe
The spiders inside, crawling around
The cobwebs in my mind, that I tried to drown out
You said I look like a ghost, man I almost was
You said need to let go, quit chasing that buzz
That picture in time, frozen like ice
Cycles keep repeating
Beating me down to size
Well maybe I'm blind, just throwing darts in the dark
I didn't get what I want, I got what I need
Man it hurts like hell, down here on my knees
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
The night is my friend I blend in with the best
The vampires the crooks the villains and the rest
Now we can pretend that we really care less
And act like we love, what we really detest
Maybe I'm blind, just throwing darts in the dark
I didn't get what I want, I got what I need
Man it hurts like hell, down here on my knees
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
Make this go away, I'm begging please
This little life left, if only to bleed
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
I'm looking up, but I'm feeling down
Since cutting these corners is cutting me down to size
Am I losing control, losing my mind
I know for a fact I'm losing my last place to hide
Well maybe I'm blind, just throwing darts in the dark
I didn't get what I want, I got what I need
Man it hurts like hell, down here on my knees
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
My pulse is racing
I can't catch my breath this near life experience scared me to death
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
Oh is this where we begin?
You might not understand, but I bet you'll believe
The spiders inside, crawling around
The cobwebs in my mind, that I tried to drown out
You said I look like a ghost, man I almost was
You said need to let go, quit chasing that buzz
That picture in time, frozen like ice
Cycles keep repeating
Beating me down to size
Well maybe I'm blind, just throwing darts in the dark
I didn't get what I want, I got what I need
Man it hurts like hell, down here on my knees
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
The night is my friend I blend in with the best
The vampires the crooks the villains and the rest
Now we can pretend that we really care less
And act like we love, what we really detest
Maybe I'm blind, just throwing darts in the dark
I didn't get what I want, I got what I need
Man it hurts like hell, down here on my knees
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
Make this go away, I'm begging please
This little life left, if only to bleed
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
I'm looking up, but I'm feeling down
Since cutting these corners is cutting me down to size
Am I losing control, losing my mind
I know for a fact I'm losing my last place to hide
Well maybe I'm blind, just throwing darts in the dark
I didn't get what I want, I got what I need
Man it hurts like hell, down here on my knees
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
My pulse is racing
I can't catch my breath this near life experience scared me to death
Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?
Oh is this where we begin?
Lyrics submitted by crounsa810
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It sounds to me like Wade is describing that point in life where you realize that living your life for yourself is empty and never leads to fulfillment. He recounts all the feelings of desperation and unhappiness. Wade has a very spiritual background and in my opinion he is describing the point where he first surrenders his life to God. "You said I look like a ghost, man I almost was You said need to let go, quit chasing that bus", this is an example of what the life he was living was doing to him.
One of the first lines of the song describes the idea of developing faith, "You might not understand, but I bet you'll believe", as faith is something that can't be observed studied in a physical way, it can only be "understood" as something we "believe".
The chorus sums it all up, "Well maybe I'm blind, just throwing darts in the dark I didn't get what I want, I got what I need (He didn't get the quick moments of self gratification but instead he had an experience that was necessary to help him see the truth about the meaning of his life) Man it hurts like hell, down here on my knees (surrendering our lives is always a painful experience as we have to give up the things we once traded everything for) Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?" (After this experience he has a choice, he can either go back to the life that doesn't lead to anything better, or he can choose a new beginning in a life of awareness and truth)
It is either about what you just said, or it is about the moment where we die and move on to, speaking for myself and hopefully yourself, Heaven. Just my guess after hearing the line "This little life left if only to bleed." There are two moments in life where we die and are born again, and that is accepting Christ and death itself. In either case, this song has become a great soundtrack for my life.
greeeeat song!!! comment peopleeeee!
Agreed!!!!
Wow, Bob Dylan much? Great song :)
I have to disagree with the first comment. To me, this song is not about religion.
When I listen to this song it is very introspective. It is all about self-evaluation of the state of being. Being in the philosophical sense. The lyrics fit this idea as well, the thoughts of someone who is depressed, dejected, probably suicidal, references to cutting, and using some other harsh things to cope with those emotions.
"<i>Make this go away, I'm begging please This little life left, if only to bleed Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?</i>"
This song is about going from that state of mind and having the breakthrough to being past that state of mind. Sitting in the improved state of mind and looking back on the things that happened and trying to decipher them all.
"<i>I can't catch my breath this near life experience scared me to death</i>"
It ends with an almost haunting state of mind... "<i>Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?</i>"
Defining what "we" means can be extremely subjective.
The title is ironic, it is a play on words "Near death experience" becomes "Near Life Experience" because the person in the song did not die, the decided to stay.
SIDENOTE:
I was listening to an old CD by Lifehouse and it seemed like almost a precurser to this song. If you play the song 'All in All' from their first cd or even better is "Cling and Clatter" from no name face. Both mirror the idea pretty well and speaks to the old self vs. new self idea. I may have the wrong track, but dig through the old catalog and I'm sure you will find it. (I recall both of them referenced falling, making the line about being on your knees stick out)
I was listening to an old CD by Lifehouse and it seemed like almost a precurser to this song. If you play the song 'All in All' from their first cd or even better is "Cling and Clatter" from no name face. Both mirror the idea pretty well and speaks to the old self vs. new self idea. I may have the wrong track, but dig through the old catalog and I'm sure you will find it. (I recall both of them referenced falling, making the line about being on your knees stick out)
I have to disagree with the first comment. To me, this song is not about religion.
When I listen to this song it is very introspective. It is all about self-evaluation of the state of being. Being in the philosophical sense. The lyrics fit this idea as well, the thoughts of someone who is depressed, dejected, probably suicidal, references to cutting, and using some other harsh things to cope with those emotions.
"<i>Make this go away, I'm begging please This little life left, if only to bleed Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?</i>"
This song is about going from that state of mind and having the breakthrough to being past that state of mind. Sitting in the improved state of mind and looking back on the things that happened and trying to decipher them all.
"<i>I can't catch my breath this near life experience scared me to death</i>"
It ends with an almost haunting state of mind... "<i>Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?</i>"
Defining what "we" means can be extremely subjective.
The title is ironic, it is a play on words "Near death experience" becomes "Near Life Experience" because the person in the song did not die, the decided to stay.
SIDENOTE:
I was listening to an old CD by Lifehouse and it seemed like almost a precurser to this song. If you play the song 'All in All' from their first cd or even better is "Cling and Clatter" from no name face. Both mirror the idea pretty well and speaks to the old self vs. new self idea. I may have the wrong track, but dig through the old catalog and I'm sure you will find it. (I recall both of them referenced falling, making the line about being on your knees stick out)
I was listening to an old CD by Lifehouse and it seemed like almost a precurser to this song. If you play the song 'All in All' from their first cd or even better is "Cling and Clatter" from no name face. Both mirror the idea pretty well and speaks to the old self vs. new self idea. I may have the wrong track, but dig through the old catalog and I'm sure you will find it. (I recall both of them referenced falling, making the line about being on your knees stick out)
I have to disagree with the first comment. To me, this song is not about religion.
When I listen to this song it is very introspective. It is all about self-evaluation of the state of being. Being in the philosophical sense. The lyrics fit this idea as well, the thoughts of someone who is depressed, dejected, probably suicidal, references to cutting, and using some other harsh things to cope with those emotions.
"<i>Make this go away, I'm begging please This little life left, if only to bleed Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?</i>"
This song is about going from that state of mind and having the breakthrough to being past that state of mind. Sitting in the improved state of mind and looking back on the things that happened and trying to decipher them all.
"<i>I can't catch my breath this near life experience scared me to death</i>"
It ends with an almost haunting state of mind... "<i>Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?</i>"
Defining what "we" means can be extremely subjective.
The title is ironic, it is a play on words "Near death experience" becomes "Near Life Experience" because the person in the song did not die, the decided to stay.
SIDENOTE:
I was listening to an old CD by Lifehouse and it seemed like almost a precurser to this song. If you play the song 'All in All' from their first cd or even better is "Cling and Clatter" from no name face. Both mirror the idea pretty well and speaks to the old self vs. new self idea. I may have the wrong track, but dig through the old catalog and I'm sure you will find it. (I recall both of them referenced falling, making the line about being on your knees stick out)
I was listening to an old CD by Lifehouse and it seemed like almost a precurser to this song. If you play the song 'All in All' from their first cd or even better is "Cling and Clatter" from no name face. Both mirror the idea pretty well and speaks to the old self vs. new self idea. I may have the wrong track, but dig through the old catalog and I'm sure you will find it. (I recall both of them referenced falling, making the line about being on your knees stick out)
I have to disagree with the first comment. To me, this song is not about religion.
When I listen to this song it is very introspective. It is all about self-evaluation of the state of being. Being in the philosophical sense. The lyrics fit this idea as well, the thoughts of someone who is depressed, dejected, probably suicidal, references to cutting, and using some other harsh things to cope with those emotions.
"<i>Make this go away, I'm begging please This little life left, if only to bleed Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?</i>"
This song is about going from that state of mind and having the breakthrough to being past that state of mind. Sitting in the improved state of mind and looking back on the things that happened and trying to decipher them all.
"<i>I can't catch my breath this near life experience scared me to death</i>"
It ends with an almost haunting state of mind... "<i>Is this where I end, or is this where we begin?</i>"
Defining what "we" means can be extremely subjective.
The title is ironic, it is a play on words "Near death experience" becomes "Near Life Experience" because the person in the song did not die, the decided to stay.
SIDENOTE:
I was listening to an old CD by Lifehouse and it seemed like almost a precurser to this song. If you play the song 'All in All' from their first cd or even better is "Cling and Clatter" from no name face. Both mirror the idea pretty well and speaks to the old self vs. new self idea. I may have the wrong track, but dig through the old catalog and I'm sure you will find it. (I recall both of them referenced falling, making the line about being on your knees stick out)
I was listening to an old CD by Lifehouse and it seemed like almost a precurser to this song. If you play the song 'All in All' from their first cd or even better is "Cling and Clatter" from no name face. Both mirror the idea pretty well and speaks to the old self vs. new self idea. I may have the wrong track, but dig through the old catalog and I'm sure you will find it. (I recall both of them referenced falling, making the line about being on your knees stick out)