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.
Well he moved out of the city from his little tiny place alone
Yes he moved out of the city from his little tiny place alone
So long Bannatyne, hello my Chevrier home.
Well now there might be a few things missin’
Like the Indians on a Saturday night
Yes there might be just a few things missin’
Like the odd hotel bar fight
So long Bannatyne, hello my Chevrier home.
Maybe in the summer I can build myself a rec room
And buy a power mower for the lawn,
Or maybe that depends on the orders from the office and accountants and the label and Don
The Emperor...
Hello my Chevrier
Hello my Chevrier
Hello my Chevrier adobe,
I’m so proud of it, speak so loud of it, always.
Yes I moved out of the city and I left my Bannatyne behind
Oh I moved out of the city and I left my Bannatyne behind
I really like it here,
The people are kind to me, at quarter to three
When I sail my red Chevy past the house on the breeze
I’m huggin’ and a kissin’ and a smoochin’ and a lovin’
Ballin’ and a partyin’, fightin’ day and night
And everybody knows that that’s the way it goes,
So long Bannatyne.
Yes he moved out of the city from his little tiny place alone
So long Bannatyne, hello my Chevrier home.
Well now there might be a few things missin’
Like the Indians on a Saturday night
Yes there might be just a few things missin’
Like the odd hotel bar fight
So long Bannatyne, hello my Chevrier home.
Maybe in the summer I can build myself a rec room
And buy a power mower for the lawn,
Or maybe that depends on the orders from the office and accountants and the label and Don
The Emperor...
Hello my Chevrier
Hello my Chevrier
Hello my Chevrier adobe,
I’m so proud of it, speak so loud of it, always.
Yes I moved out of the city and I left my Bannatyne behind
Oh I moved out of the city and I left my Bannatyne behind
I really like it here,
The people are kind to me, at quarter to three
When I sail my red Chevy past the house on the breeze
I’m huggin’ and a kissin’ and a smoochin’ and a lovin’
Ballin’ and a partyin’, fightin’ day and night
And everybody knows that that’s the way it goes,
So long Bannatyne.
Lyrics submitted by kevin
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
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I did some online research:
"Bannatyne" is the name of a campus of the University of Manitoba, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
"Chevrier" Blvd. is a street in Winnipeg, about 5 miles from downtown Winnipeg.
I have the vinyl LP; the jacket has, on its front side, the words "So Long, Bannatyne" above the "red Chevy" with a Manitoba plate. In the background is a building labeled "Bannatyne Apartments".
On the back side of the LP jacket is the red Chevy again, but this time it's in a residential neighborhood.
I couldn't find any Canadian towns named "Bannatyne" or "Chevrier".
So, I'd say the song is about leaving college, or leaving an apartment in the city, and moving out to a house in the suburbs.
@wdfarmer The song "So Long, Bannatyne" refers to a street name where Kurt winter used to live, Bannatyne Boulavard 543. The lyrics "Hello, My Chevrier Home" in the song also refer to a new home in Fort Gary on Chevrier Ave. The apartment on Bannatyne can be seen in the album cover. If you search "So long, Bannatyne" and look at the images you will come across the house in Fort Gary.
Sorry Bannatyne Ave and chvrier blvd
Follow up: Over on guesswhofans.com/songdiscussions/slb.html , there's some discussion of this song. One poster says the red Chevy belonged to band member Kurt Winter; another says "You all know the story about how it was a song about Kurt moving to a house in the Fort Garry area, right?"
I checked some maps: There's a Bannatyne Ave. in Winnipeg. The Fort Garry campus of the University of Manitoba is also in Winnipeg, about 5 minutes from Chevrier Blvd.
So it looks like the song was about Kurt Winter's move from an apartment on Bannatyne Ave. in Winnipeg, to a house on Chevrier Blvd. elsewhere in the same city.