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.
Take up the hammer
Strike the iron
Silence is filling you now
No escape for your misdealings
Misery guides the vines that twist and choke inside you
Seize the day
Drop the blade
The end is truth
I'm living proof
I watched my future die
Through all the burned down bridges
Wasted years spent chasing demons
There's nothing left to regret
Not even a fool like you should go on
Fly into the sun
I'll laugh when worn out wings burn
Through all the burned down bridges
Wasted years spent chasing demons
Another burned-out town
Acidic
Dried-out
Starving
Desolation dealt in spades
Kill yourself
Let there be no lies between us
Trephination of the will
Kill myself
Let there be no ties between us
Another chalkline for the till
There's nothing left to regret
Not even a fool like you should go on
Fly into the sun
I'll laugh when worn out wings burn
I haven't shed a tear
It's been so long through bitter years
Maybe I'm the one who'll die when worn out wings burn
Temptation baits the addict gene
Familiar places
Empty spaces
Hereditary path of destruction
Coma-white riddled with sickness
Through all the burned down bridges
Wasted years spent chasing demons
Abandon your hope
For no one is listening
Turning a deaf ear to you
Excess of this unfit king I am
To this earth flesh I'll deliver
There's nothing left to regret
Not even a fool like you should go on
Fly into the sun
I'll laugh when worn out wings burn
I haven't shed a tear
It's been so long through bitter years
Maybe I'm the one who'll die when worn out wings burn
Strike the iron
Silence is filling you now
No escape for your misdealings
Misery guides the vines that twist and choke inside you
Seize the day
Drop the blade
The end is truth
I'm living proof
I watched my future die
Through all the burned down bridges
Wasted years spent chasing demons
There's nothing left to regret
Not even a fool like you should go on
Fly into the sun
I'll laugh when worn out wings burn
Through all the burned down bridges
Wasted years spent chasing demons
Another burned-out town
Acidic
Dried-out
Starving
Desolation dealt in spades
Kill yourself
Let there be no lies between us
Trephination of the will
Kill myself
Let there be no ties between us
Another chalkline for the till
There's nothing left to regret
Not even a fool like you should go on
Fly into the sun
I'll laugh when worn out wings burn
I haven't shed a tear
It's been so long through bitter years
Maybe I'm the one who'll die when worn out wings burn
Temptation baits the addict gene
Familiar places
Empty spaces
Hereditary path of destruction
Coma-white riddled with sickness
Through all the burned down bridges
Wasted years spent chasing demons
Abandon your hope
For no one is listening
Turning a deaf ear to you
Excess of this unfit king I am
To this earth flesh I'll deliver
There's nothing left to regret
Not even a fool like you should go on
Fly into the sun
I'll laugh when worn out wings burn
I haven't shed a tear
It's been so long through bitter years
Maybe I'm the one who'll die when worn out wings burn
Lyrics submitted by Sebastian1985
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Light Up The Sky
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.