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.
Tell me a line
Make it easy for me
Open your arms
Dance with me until I feel all right
It's good in the dark
Good in the dark
But into the lover's light
Here comes another fight
So ring the alarm
Ring the alarm
Bar me and hold me and cling to my arm
Here it comes
Here it comes
And what you're asking me now
Disastrous now
Hoping and hoping and hoping the feeling goes away (away)
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
This is why I fell in love
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
That's just who I fell in love with (in love)
Oh this is the time
The very best time
So give me a line
And take me home
Take me over
But dashing the hopes
Dashing the hopes
And smashing the pride
The morning's got you on the ropes, oh
And love is a murderer
Love is a murderer
But if she calls you tonight
Everything is all right
Yeah, we know
And love is a curse
Shoved in a hearse
Love is an open book to a verse
Of your bad poetry
And this is coming from me
But I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
Turn on the light
Make it easy for me
Fill the divide
Fumble in the kitchen 'til it's right
What an awful sight
But there's love in your eyes
Love in your eyes
Love in your eyes
But maybe that's just what your lover finds all night
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you feel real love (real love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
Make it easy for me
Open your arms
Dance with me until I feel all right
It's good in the dark
Good in the dark
But into the lover's light
Here comes another fight
So ring the alarm
Ring the alarm
Bar me and hold me and cling to my arm
Here it comes
Here it comes
And what you're asking me now
Disastrous now
Hoping and hoping and hoping the feeling goes away (away)
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
This is why I fell in love
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
That's just who I fell in love with (in love)
Oh this is the time
The very best time
So give me a line
And take me home
Take me over
But dashing the hopes
Dashing the hopes
And smashing the pride
The morning's got you on the ropes, oh
And love is a murderer
Love is a murderer
But if she calls you tonight
Everything is all right
Yeah, we know
And love is a curse
Shoved in a hearse
Love is an open book to a verse
Of your bad poetry
And this is coming from me
But I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
Turn on the light
Make it easy for me
Fill the divide
Fumble in the kitchen 'til it's right
What an awful sight
But there's love in your eyes
Love in your eyes
Love in your eyes
But maybe that's just what your lover finds all night
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you feel real love (real love)
And I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love (in love)
Lyrics submitted by _hideandseek, edited by Phaxn
I Can Change Lyrics as written by James Jeremiah Murphy Patrick Mahoney
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think this song is about a relationship that is about to end or where the subject of the song is cheating on the author, and the author doesn't understand, doesn't want it to be true - He loves the other person, and doesn't want her (using him/her for the purposes of this comment) to leave and doesn't want things to change between them.
There's a "divide", he suspects she's cheating ("maybe that's what your lover finds all night"), she's lying to him ("tell me a line"), he's looking for that spark that they used to have together but doesn't think her happiness is for him ("there's love in your eyes"), they're having problems ("fumble in the kitchen", "here comes another fight").
At the beginning of the song, she's keeping him in the "dark" about the situation (lying), and he likes it there because he doesn't want her to leave. He's in denial, doesn't want it to be true. He hopes he's just imaging things "hoping and hoping that the feeling goes away" and that she's not really cheating on him (it's just a feeling after all... isn't it?). If she "calls" him tonight, everything is ok. Otherwise, it's probably over. "Yeah, we know".
He's fighting, struggling between two difficult places - losing, the end is near - morning has him "on the ropes" = "Etymology: from the idea of a weakened prize fighter who leans against the ropes that surround the boxing ring" (source: idioms.thefreedictionary.com/on+the+ropes)
By the end of the song he's changed his tune a little bit - He wants her to "turn on the light" - the light is either the truth or her love for him. He is searching for that love, but is pretty sure it's not for him, so he pleads (another stage of loss/mourning) and offers to change. If it gets her to love him, if it makes her stay, he offers to change. But it's probably too late, and he probably can't or shouldn't change anyway.
Sad song, beautiful song, great song.
@meowza ???? The sheer length of the post gave me a hearty chuckle. Thank you!