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.
You heard the crickets of the early eve
They lurk around the opening in twos and threes
Clementine told you not to move with the breeze
I'll take you down to places where we dare not speak
The red light in the doorway says she's armed
But boy go try your luck and you might get past
Step into the dwelling of the liger's mouth
Peer into the panic for a kick and swell
You know you shouldn't be there but it's way past bed
There's comfort in the fingers of your good intent
You know you shouldn't be there but your money's all spent
You've got your reputation and your good intent
Your good intent
Out to feed that habit when you've sowed that seed
Nothing made you feel out of the ordinary
But the air turns sombre and the night took heed
Took you on a waltz of hypocrisy
She broke your bones, now you're lying in the dirt
The shadow of a hunter under your torture
It's not enough to say, it's not what's in your heart
You've tainted every moment till death do we part
I know you didn't mean it, boy you meant so well
The pennies are cascading down your wishing well
I know you didn't mean it when you counted to ten
You're slipping through the fingers of your good intent
I know you didn't mean it, though you meant so well
The pennies are cascading down your wishing well
I know you didn't mean it when you counted to ten
You've got your reputation and your good intent
Such a good intent
It's not enough to hope for the best
It's not enough to lie there on a brace
The liger's on the prowl now you've pulled its strings
One false move and soon you're playing dice for a
They lurk around the opening in twos and threes
Clementine told you not to move with the breeze
I'll take you down to places where we dare not speak
The red light in the doorway says she's armed
But boy go try your luck and you might get past
Step into the dwelling of the liger's mouth
Peer into the panic for a kick and swell
You know you shouldn't be there but it's way past bed
There's comfort in the fingers of your good intent
You know you shouldn't be there but your money's all spent
You've got your reputation and your good intent
Your good intent
Out to feed that habit when you've sowed that seed
Nothing made you feel out of the ordinary
But the air turns sombre and the night took heed
Took you on a waltz of hypocrisy
She broke your bones, now you're lying in the dirt
The shadow of a hunter under your torture
It's not enough to say, it's not what's in your heart
You've tainted every moment till death do we part
I know you didn't mean it, boy you meant so well
The pennies are cascading down your wishing well
I know you didn't mean it when you counted to ten
You're slipping through the fingers of your good intent
I know you didn't mean it, though you meant so well
The pennies are cascading down your wishing well
I know you didn't mean it when you counted to ten
You've got your reputation and your good intent
Such a good intent
It's not enough to hope for the best
It's not enough to lie there on a brace
The liger's on the prowl now you've pulled its strings
One false move and soon you're playing dice for a
Lyrics submitted by jamminxo, edited by sodafat, greenbean2014
Good Intent Lyrics as written by Kimbra Lee Johnson Francois Lois Tetaz
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Good intent is exactly that, it is nothing. The final decision/action is all that matters.
You might have good intent but its the follow through that seperates something from nothing.
Love this song. Kimbra's amazing.
I'm fairly sure it's about a married man cheating on his wife with a prostitute.
The phrase "deleted" from the last line is probably "plain gold ring." It fits the rhyme scheme, goes along with the theme of adultery, and happens to be the name of the next song on the album.
the video for this is fantastic!!
lovin the beat of this song!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok so in the video we see that the man is waiting to meet this lady who i'm assuming is not his wife outside the club. Yes she may be paid, she may be attractive to him which is the reason he is having second guesses but has anyone considered that she was hired to teach him how to dance to impress his wife? It would be a pretty risky operation and it just happened that some feelings may have got out of hand and he is considering ending it all with the teacher.
where it says "they lurk around the opening in twos and threes" i thought that this was refering to prostitues that are lurking around in groups to get 'customers' such as the man in the video