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.
Stranded in a snowstorm in a town that you forgot
I take advantage of a warm car and I reassess my lot
So many years I have given up and now my youth seems shot
I take my place among the truckers and I show 'em what I've got.
I told the stripper at the bar that the shots we got were magic,
'make a wish and they'll come true'...
as she smiled her golden tooth glinted in the light,
and I wonder what she wished for. I just wished for you.
They say everything is possible... but I know that it's not true.
Especially not when it comes to you
Dreamy colors gold and red, dreamy colors run right through
Oh, Caroline as my witness, I never meant to cause you pain...
and sweet sweet forgiveness; you can go back, but it's never the same.
Oh I don't know who I am and I don't know what I'll be
feels like I'm strounded in an ocean of grave uncertainty
wish I could conjure up the shoots and ladders to bring me back
to the place before I ran away and found... I'd lost my track.
Oh that magic curtained canyon where lovers dreams can lie
is like a drive in movie screen that is pressed against the sky.
All those pictures float there happy just for a little while
before they're swallowed up in the vastness of... the open night.
Dreamy colors gold and red, dreamy colors run right through
Oh, Caroline as my witness, I never meant to cause you pain...
and sweet sweet forgiveness; you can go back, but it's never the same.
Oh I'll give you all the colors that are left here in my box,
if you would draw a picture into which we could both drop.
And you would be the heron and I would be the fox,
and you would fly above me... Hoorah!
I take advantage of a warm car and I reassess my lot
So many years I have given up and now my youth seems shot
I take my place among the truckers and I show 'em what I've got.
I told the stripper at the bar that the shots we got were magic,
'make a wish and they'll come true'...
as she smiled her golden tooth glinted in the light,
and I wonder what she wished for. I just wished for you.
They say everything is possible... but I know that it's not true.
Especially not when it comes to you
Dreamy colors gold and red, dreamy colors run right through
Oh, Caroline as my witness, I never meant to cause you pain...
and sweet sweet forgiveness; you can go back, but it's never the same.
Oh I don't know who I am and I don't know what I'll be
feels like I'm strounded in an ocean of grave uncertainty
wish I could conjure up the shoots and ladders to bring me back
to the place before I ran away and found... I'd lost my track.
Oh that magic curtained canyon where lovers dreams can lie
is like a drive in movie screen that is pressed against the sky.
All those pictures float there happy just for a little while
before they're swallowed up in the vastness of... the open night.
Dreamy colors gold and red, dreamy colors run right through
Oh, Caroline as my witness, I never meant to cause you pain...
and sweet sweet forgiveness; you can go back, but it's never the same.
Oh I'll give you all the colors that are left here in my box,
if you would draw a picture into which we could both drop.
And you would be the heron and I would be the fox,
and you would fly above me... Hoorah!
Lyrics submitted by cliftongibbons
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