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 sit me down to explain all
the trials you've endured
Around and around the refrain
rings the same each time it's heard
Entertain the notion,
entertain the notion
That the only thing I hear is
the crack of a smile in a face
That ain't so sincere
When I'm measuring out your qualities
It is only as deep as your modesty
As your insides fall to pieces,
shattered by the silent treatment
Things are only fragile 'til they break
Feigning your humility
It only serves to weaken the most
common observations that you make
Drown me out in conversation,
surf a wave of provocation
Wash away my interest in your wake
I think you can, reach a place
where the impetus is pure
You'll understand, a disgrace is
the thing that makes us feel..
"Level on the inside,
level on the outside"
I'm content to know it
Level on the inside,
level on the outside
I don't need to show it
the trials you've endured
Around and around the refrain
rings the same each time it's heard
Entertain the notion,
entertain the notion
That the only thing I hear is
the crack of a smile in a face
That ain't so sincere
When I'm measuring out your qualities
It is only as deep as your modesty
As your insides fall to pieces,
shattered by the silent treatment
Things are only fragile 'til they break
Feigning your humility
It only serves to weaken the most
common observations that you make
Drown me out in conversation,
surf a wave of provocation
Wash away my interest in your wake
I think you can, reach a place
where the impetus is pure
You'll understand, a disgrace is
the thing that makes us feel..
"Level on the inside,
level on the outside"
I'm content to know it
Level on the inside,
level on the outside
I don't need to show it
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Level on the Inside Lyrics as written by Charles Spaulding Gladfelter
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.