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.
The pain, disorder
A cataclysmic dawn
We trusted but something has gone wrong
We bought it
But woke to find it gone
Impact in 5, 4, 3, 2
The place before
The radiation creeps
On cats' feet
We scatter in the streets
She asks me "do you think it's safe to breathe?"
It doesn't look that way to me
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
Afraid, we cower
To interests not our own
The power to free or to control
We let it skip through
Our fingers to the bone
Watch as the bodies wash ashore
Whoa
Nobody lives here anymore
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
How long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall?
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
How long, how?
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
A cataclysmic dawn
We trusted but something has gone wrong
We bought it
But woke to find it gone
Impact in 5, 4, 3, 2
The place before
The radiation creeps
On cats' feet
We scatter in the streets
She asks me "do you think it's safe to breathe?"
It doesn't look that way to me
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
Afraid, we cower
To interests not our own
The power to free or to control
We let it skip through
Our fingers to the bone
Watch as the bodies wash ashore
Whoa
Nobody lives here anymore
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
How long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall?
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
How long, how?
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
Lyrics submitted by WillCreary, edited by rougereader, Tserra, sevasweets
A Gentlemen's Coup Lyrics as written by Joseph Principe Brandon Barnes
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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,
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the chorus makes me think of ancient warfare, the army storms the gates, conquers, raise the new flag, take over the throne, but there will be so many revolts from the people who used to live there, or the country will want there city bak so more war will follow and it would just be easier to burn the city down. the songs obviously not about ancient war at all, but im a history guy so thats what i think of
You are far from wrong. The history of our civilizations has been one of mostly violent, and rarely peaceful revolutions (and plenty of wholesale slaughter and conquest of ones neighbors). In all of these cases, they don't fix the problems that led to the revolution, they are just symptom relief.<br /> <br /> We can storm the gates of the insert state government, take over, impose our own rule, and create a whole new set of winners and losers to start the process all over again. The system itself (in all its ideological forms) tends towards inequity.<br /> <br /> I hope that you have taken Rise Against's suggestion to read Ishmael. It illuminates some of these ideas much more effectively. You probably have gotten around to a People's History of the United States.