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 car crunches gravel
And the wind licks at you
This dark spell you're under
Has you dumbstruck by the gate
It hurts every muscle,
Just to walk back to the house
Now this home that you both made,
It looks haunted from the yard
You can hear those distant bells,
And you know they'll never leave,
It's like your church is crying out,
Like the wolf calls to her young
And the dark never enters
But it also never leaves,
And this spark that he gave you
Is just an ember all but out
If he'd one eye on the exit,
Oh you never would have known
Until he drove off in the darkness
Like some slowly fading song
You can hear those distant bells,
And you know they'll never leave
It's like your church is crying out,
Like the wolf calls to her young
You can hear those distant bells
And you know they'll never leave
It's like your church is crying out
Like the wolf calls to her young
And the wind licks at you
This dark spell you're under
Has you dumbstruck by the gate
It hurts every muscle,
Just to walk back to the house
Now this home that you both made,
It looks haunted from the yard
You can hear those distant bells,
And you know they'll never leave,
It's like your church is crying out,
Like the wolf calls to her young
And the dark never enters
But it also never leaves,
And this spark that he gave you
Is just an ember all but out
If he'd one eye on the exit,
Oh you never would have known
Until he drove off in the darkness
Like some slowly fading song
You can hear those distant bells,
And you know they'll never leave
It's like your church is crying out,
Like the wolf calls to her young
You can hear those distant bells
And you know they'll never leave
It's like your church is crying out
Like the wolf calls to her young
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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/
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
“The dark never enters/ But it also never leaves” suggests that the problem does not come from the external, but it exist from within, which is why he cannot solve it. Perhaps the speaker does not love his wife as much or the other way around. “This spark that he gave you/ Is just an ember all but out” suggests that he cannot feel the sparks between them anymore; now the sparks become merely embers, and he is stuck in between, not knowing what to do, to endure the bitter marriage for his children or to let it go? Here's the full interpretation of this song: en.lineday.co/snow-patrol-distant-bells-lyrics-meaning/