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.
Yeah
I've made my mistakes
I've seen my heart cave in
I got my scars
I've been to hell and back again
Born for the blue skies
We'll survive the rain
Born for the sunrise
We'll survive the pain
[Chorus]
We're singing
Hey, you can't count us out
We've been running up against the crowd
Yeah, we are the dark horses
We're singing...
Wait! It's not over now
We've been down but we've never been out
Yeah, we are the dark horses
We found the way out
The city takes everything it can
But outside the crowds
I can feel my lungs again
Born for the blue skies
We'll survive the rain
Born for the sunrise
We'll survive the pain
[Chorus]
We're singing
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la.
Yeah!
Born for the blue skies
Born for the blue skies
Born for the sunrise
We'll survive the pain
[Chorus]
We're singing
Hey, you can't count us out
We've been running up against the crowd
Yeah, we are the dark horses
We're singing
Wait, don't care what they say
We know we'll find a way
Yeah! We are the Dark Horses
Yeah!
Laa la-la-la-la-laa
Laa la-la-la-la-laa
Keep running for the dark horses
Hope makes the blood change courses
Keep running for dark horses
Stand up for the dark horses
Keep running for the dark horses
Hope makes the blood change courses
I've made my mistakes
I've seen my heart cave in
I got my scars
I've been to hell and back again
Born for the blue skies
We'll survive the rain
Born for the sunrise
We'll survive the pain
[Chorus]
We're singing
Hey, you can't count us out
We've been running up against the crowd
Yeah, we are the dark horses
We're singing...
Wait! It's not over now
We've been down but we've never been out
Yeah, we are the dark horses
We found the way out
The city takes everything it can
But outside the crowds
I can feel my lungs again
Born for the blue skies
We'll survive the rain
Born for the sunrise
We'll survive the pain
[Chorus]
We're singing
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la.
Yeah!
Born for the blue skies
Born for the blue skies
Born for the sunrise
We'll survive the pain
[Chorus]
We're singing
Hey, you can't count us out
We've been running up against the crowd
Yeah, we are the dark horses
We're singing
Wait, don't care what they say
We know we'll find a way
Yeah! We are the Dark Horses
Yeah!
Laa la-la-la-la-laa
Laa la-la-la-la-laa
Keep running for the dark horses
Hope makes the blood change courses
Keep running for dark horses
Stand up for the dark horses
Keep running for the dark horses
Hope makes the blood change courses
Lyrics submitted by Nacho040594
Dark Horses Lyrics as written by Tim Foreman Jon Foreman
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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According to an interview with Jon Foreman at adrianhummel.com/yosite/ (which I found through a wikipedia reference on the song's page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Horses), this song is mostly about people who didn't choose their situation, but are rising above it.
From the link:
"I wrote a piece awhile back on the Huffington Post about Dark Horses and underdogs and I started thinking about it and for me the true underdogs are the people who didn’t chose their situation, but are rising above it. For me that song the Dark Horses is all about the homeless kids back in San Diego, specifically the ones who are being helped out by Stand Up For Kids. It’s always nice when you have a song you are passionate about singing night after night that has a deeper meaning than simply another verse and another chorus."
holy crap! thats all i have to say. this is an amazing song. i just bought it off of itunes. wow, switchfoots really getting awesome. let me work on a meaning
For the record, they've always been awesome. The Beautiful Letdown is one of my favorite albums of all time.
holy crap! thats all i have to say. this is an amazing song. i just bought it off of itunes. wow, switchfoots really getting awesome. let me work on a meaning
I saw Switchfoot a few night ago and just like Jeremiah said, Jon said this song was about the orphans and homeless back in San Diego, which really makes sense to me now.
not enough comments!!!!!! this song is awesome!!!!! I think it's about the lonely people who don't get noticed, they are 'dark horses' they are living in the shadows but are getting through it. I think this song honours these 'dark horses'. there are some people who are not alone but still feel like dark horses. this is just what I think anyway.