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.
Hear you got your troubles or so I've been told
Maybe just a couple but I'm not quite sold
I'm indifferent to the difference 'tween tomorrow and today
Less an indiscretion than a lesson I've been paid
The stages of recovery can signify your age
Like rings around a stump
That's something I know a little bit about, child
Maybe it's been getting a little bit crazy
I don't wanna be complaining, complaining, oh
All my friends go to bed dreaming up a reason they should weep
And all my friends go to the ends of the earth for secrets they don't wanna keep
Well, this is my confession: yes, yes
This is me confessin': god bless
The sad and selfish--stay helpless
'Cause I've always been stronger than that
All the weight of the world on my back
It's just love, selfish love
Love, selfish love
I've got nothing to confess, yes
I've got nothing to confess, yes
It is too easy to be scared sometimes, I'm not gonna lie
And I don't understand
It's like the whole world is jumping off a bridge
And you don't want to be the one
Standing on the ledge
All my friends go to the ends of the earth for secrets they don't wanna keep
Well, this is my confession: yes, yes
This is me confessin': god bless
The sad and selfish--stay helpless
'Cause I've always been stronger than that
All the weight of the world on my back
It's just love, selfish love
Love, selfish love
I've got nothing to confess, yes
I've got nothing to confess, yes
Maybe just a couple but I'm not quite sold
I'm indifferent to the difference 'tween tomorrow and today
Less an indiscretion than a lesson I've been paid
The stages of recovery can signify your age
Like rings around a stump
That's something I know a little bit about, child
Maybe it's been getting a little bit crazy
I don't wanna be complaining, complaining, oh
All my friends go to bed dreaming up a reason they should weep
And all my friends go to the ends of the earth for secrets they don't wanna keep
Well, this is my confession: yes, yes
This is me confessin': god bless
The sad and selfish--stay helpless
'Cause I've always been stronger than that
All the weight of the world on my back
It's just love, selfish love
Love, selfish love
I've got nothing to confess, yes
I've got nothing to confess, yes
It is too easy to be scared sometimes, I'm not gonna lie
And I don't understand
It's like the whole world is jumping off a bridge
And you don't want to be the one
Standing on the ledge
All my friends go to the ends of the earth for secrets they don't wanna keep
Well, this is my confession: yes, yes
This is me confessin': god bless
The sad and selfish--stay helpless
'Cause I've always been stronger than that
All the weight of the world on my back
It's just love, selfish love
Love, selfish love
I've got nothing to confess, yes
I've got nothing to confess, yes
Lyrics submitted by andchimeras, edited by thepianodoesntknowshit
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
The Night We Met
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Just A Little Lovin'
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Some of the lyrics are off here. I think it should be "the stages of recovery can signify your age, like rings around a stump." Then, "all my friends go to bed dreaming up a reason they should weep." And,"God bless the sad and selfish, stay helpless."
And in an interview Patrick said, "You know, a lot of people ask me why I don't have a Twitter. It's sad that people really go out of their way to tell everyone everything about themselves. Our country has verbal diarrhea. It's really sad -- there's no mystery, no surprise. "Love Selfish Love" is just about that. It would be nice to go on a first date with somebody and not be able to know everything about them from their MySpace or Facebook profile. There's no first impressions anymore. You go to a job interview and they'll probably Google you. It's a shame -- people should play it a little closer to the chest as far as what information they release to the world. If I'm angry about something I'm not going to take to my Twitter. The whole record explores that idea."
Thanks! Editing :)