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.
Look, yo, no castaway, no survivor
I ain't lost and this ain't shipwrecked
I feel small in this big wide world
A mummy ain't said 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' yet
I ain't Jesus but I'm walkin' on water
There's no bombs here, there's no walkers
I can break out of jail with a lighter
So is there any point in making laws, blud
This ain't Atlantis, are you sure
I nearly suffocated when I touched the shore
No rain, condoms it poured and up the road
You'll never guess who I saw
Uh, uh, uh, it's K-A
Look, skip on the beat like Ali in the gym
Honey I'm home this is where I wanna live
Just found it like Nemo on the d-low
I don't know if it's greener, but it's green though
On the other side of the fence, bind to the ends
No fence, no stress, no rent, no superficial shit, this real flow
Where the women look hot, but the beach cold
And the speech goes like, hi little lady
Sex on the beach, wanna try for a baby
Word in the village, I'm a little bit crazy
Swag up on a hundred degrees, no eighty
Look, if heaven had a V-I-P, uh, this is it, white sand, blue sea
But I don't know who they are and I'm damn sure they don't know me
But I come in peace
Cool, white flag, white flag
No war
No guns
No Corps
Just life
Just love
No hype
Just fun
No ties
Just me and my mind
Just me and my wife
But tell me if I'm dreamin'
'Cause I don't wanna wake up 'til the evenin'
And I don't wanna be left sleepin'
From all the diseases that I breathe in
Look, respect the island, no stealin'
And don't bring religion here, no three kings
It's great and we ain't leavin'
We come on in peace, sing
White flag?
White flag
I ain't lost and this ain't shipwrecked
I feel small in this big wide world
A mummy ain't said 'Honey, I shrunk the kids' yet
I ain't Jesus but I'm walkin' on water
There's no bombs here, there's no walkers
I can break out of jail with a lighter
So is there any point in making laws, blud
This ain't Atlantis, are you sure
I nearly suffocated when I touched the shore
No rain, condoms it poured and up the road
You'll never guess who I saw
Uh, uh, uh, it's K-A
Look, skip on the beat like Ali in the gym
Honey I'm home this is where I wanna live
Just found it like Nemo on the d-low
I don't know if it's greener, but it's green though
On the other side of the fence, bind to the ends
No fence, no stress, no rent, no superficial shit, this real flow
Where the women look hot, but the beach cold
And the speech goes like, hi little lady
Sex on the beach, wanna try for a baby
Word in the village, I'm a little bit crazy
Swag up on a hundred degrees, no eighty
Look, if heaven had a V-I-P, uh, this is it, white sand, blue sea
But I don't know who they are and I'm damn sure they don't know me
But I come in peace
Cool, white flag, white flag
No war
No guns
No Corps
Just life
Just love
No hype
Just fun
No ties
Just me and my mind
Just me and my wife
But tell me if I'm dreamin'
'Cause I don't wanna wake up 'til the evenin'
And I don't wanna be left sleepin'
From all the diseases that I breathe in
Look, respect the island, no stealin'
And don't bring religion here, no three kings
It's great and we ain't leavin'
We come on in peace, sing
White flag?
White flag
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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
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.
"Look yo, no castaway no survivor I ain't lost and this ain't shipwrecked"
I just realized that these are all probably supposed to be referring to their respective movies/tv shows of the same name.
Capitalize 'em.
I always thought of this song as an exposition for the rest of the album. Like they're saying, "We're not trying to make some hugely profound statement, we're not trying to start a fight with anybody, we're leaving all the bullshit out; just sit back an enjoy the plastic beach, friends."
The story of the album takes place like 30 years in the future. The world is extremely hot do to global warming. But technology has evolved enough for us to "recreate" a paradise, and the song is about humanity giving up on saving the earth to live on this Plastic Beach. While nature outside is destroyed.
when I hear this song I always think of rook island from Farcry 3
FIrst!! a lot of people are hating on this song but dang i love it!!! as for the meaning, i have yet to decode it. white flag as in surrender? idk but terrific song!!! stoked about the album
Dude seriously i agree with you, this song is freaking terrific, love it, can;t wait to get the experience edition
yeah coldplay sucks and its obvious that its about peace dung hooo.. accepting this island as it is dirty and going to carry on like that...<br /> <br /> love pb so much!!!!!
awesome song, love it
i hear this on the first verse: i can break out a jail with the lights out so is there any point in making lost blood?
could be wrong though... anyway, i think this song is basically about trying to find peace through isolation, and never really waking up to the real world around you. & though admittedly things would be pretty peaceful without paying attention to religion, war & tragedy, and becoming involved, they seem to know that they're dreaming & that you can't live that way honestly. "white flag" could ultimately stand for giving up in way also. just my take on it. ; )
i heard it "I can break out of jail with a lighter, so is there any point in making nose blood," a reference (or so i thought) to the pointlessness of violence because it just doesn't settle anything.<br /> however, the officially released lyrics that came w/ the itunes deluxe version:<br /> "I can break outta jail with a lighter<br /> So is there any point in making laws, blud?"
So excited for this album. I'm only going to explain what I see in this song, by itself, the first time I hear it, and not in the context of the whole album (someone else can connect it all)
This song is about an escape, about creating a new place away from our pollution-heavy lifestyle
"And I don't want to be left sleeping From all the diseases that I breathe in"
This place is going to be away from the military-industrial complex, away from hierarchy (kings, rulers, presidents) and war. Living the way human animals are meant to, one could argue.
Anyways, next song...
How can you not like this song?
It has a happy, carefree tone to it, and lyrics to match it too. It's fabulous. <3