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.
So you thought it would happen
Good love, goodbye
I know where no one can reach you
No, I don't mind
It's your world, why would you fake it?
These days go by
As you turn around-ow-ow-ow
Other people want to keep in touch
Something happens and it's not enough
Never thought that it would mean so much
Other people want to keep in touch
Heaven won't keep us together
Right place at the wrong time
It takes all kinds of weather
Distant new skies
Somewhere no one can reach us
These days go by
As you turn around-ow-ow-ow
Other people want to keep in touch
Something happens and it's not enough
Never thought that it would mean so much
Other people want to keep in touch
Was it ever quite enough?
Was it ever quite enough?
Was it ever quite enough?
Was it ever quite enough?
Was it ever quite enough?
Good love, goodbye
I know where no one can reach you
No, I don't mind
It's your world, why would you fake it?
These days go by
As you turn around-ow-ow-ow
Other people want to keep in touch
Something happens and it's not enough
Never thought that it would mean so much
Other people want to keep in touch
Heaven won't keep us together
Right place at the wrong time
It takes all kinds of weather
Distant new skies
Somewhere no one can reach us
These days go by
As you turn around-ow-ow-ow
Other people want to keep in touch
Something happens and it's not enough
Never thought that it would mean so much
Other people want to keep in touch
Was it ever quite enough?
Was it ever quite enough?
Was it ever quite enough?
Was it ever quite enough?
Was it ever quite enough?
Lyrics submitted by kissingthebeehive
Other People Lyrics as written by Victoria Legrand Alex Scally
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
I feel like this is just the natural losing of friends that everyone goes through in the high school to college, college to "real world". Everyone starts with the best intentions of keeping in touch, but naturally you lose friends and you're left with the friends that you have in your current area and only the best of friends from those periods in your life. They might make an attempt to maintain the relationship, but it's just not enough for you.