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 check the mirror, lock the door
You took the stairs downstairs from the third floor
You thought about her as you walked
Well did the sky open up above you in the dark
And what a note to leave with red ?
Did you know what's coming or even half know it when you left
You set the tempo, set the pace
From the top, from the start, never slightly late
Just that afternoon we talked
Getting out, stepping out, let it out, something got caught
What about the time I heard you say
Were you only joking, or only half joking when you left
[Chorus]
I get the feeling I've done
Something half wrong
It surrounds me, drowns me in it
If I could change it I would
If only I could
You can quote me, hold me to it
We dropped the records at the sea (?)
Writing numbers on our hands (?)
Called the cops, called the car
Call a friend, call a relative still in the dark
? in seconds flat
Call ahead to check in call ahead to ask them where they're at
[Chorus: x3]
You took the stairs downstairs from the third floor
You thought about her as you walked
Well did the sky open up above you in the dark
And what a note to leave with red ?
Did you know what's coming or even half know it when you left
You set the tempo, set the pace
From the top, from the start, never slightly late
Just that afternoon we talked
Getting out, stepping out, let it out, something got caught
What about the time I heard you say
Were you only joking, or only half joking when you left
[Chorus]
I get the feeling I've done
Something half wrong
It surrounds me, drowns me in it
If I could change it I would
If only I could
You can quote me, hold me to it
We dropped the records at the sea (?)
Writing numbers on our hands (?)
Called the cops, called the car
Call a friend, call a relative still in the dark
? in seconds flat
Call ahead to check in call ahead to ask them where they're at
[Chorus: x3]
Lyrics submitted by Aquarius121
Jam for Jerry Lyrics as written by Nicholas Alexander Millhiser Alex David Frankel
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i think its, "writing numbers on our hands, counting out the beats"
holy ghost are primarily djs. after the drop off the records at the venue, they plan their set, they write the beats per minute of songs they want to play on their hands to facilitate easy beat matching. i suppose they could be writing phone numbers on their hands because their phone is out of batteries, but following the "drop the records" line, i think the DJ reference fits better
i also always thought it was "took the bridge and said goodbye", referring to a parting of ways with jerry, who died in brooklyn, and if they were all together in lower manhattan, took the williamsburg bridge to the party where he perished.
"what a note to leave with rent" i thought was "what a note to leave with friends", but i think jerry and the holy ghost guys were roommates, so that makes sense.
easy favorite track on the record.