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.
I've been out on that open road
You can be my full time, daddy, white and gold
Singing blues has been getting old
You can be my full time, baby
Hot or cold
Don't break me down (don't break me down)
I've been travelin' too long (I've been travelin' too long)
I've been trying too hard (I've been trying too hard)
With one pretty song (with one pretty song)
I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast
I am alone at midnight
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I
I've got a war in my mind
So, I just ride
Just ride, I just ride, I just ride
Dying young and playing hard
That's the way my father made his life an art
Drink all day and we talk 'til dark
That's the way the road doves do it, ride 'til dark
Don't leave me now (don't leave me now)
Don't say good bye (don't say good bye)
Don't turn around (don't turn around)
Leave me high and dry (leave me high and dry)
I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast
I am alone at midnight
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I
I've got a war in my mind
I just ride
Just ride, I just ride, I just ride
I'm tired of feeling like I'm fucking crazy
I'm tired of driving 'til I see stars in my eyes
All I've got to keep myself sane, baby
So I just ride, I just ride
I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast
I am alone at midnight
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I
I've got a war in my mind
I just ride
Just ride, I just ride, I just ride
You can be my full time, daddy, white and gold
Singing blues has been getting old
You can be my full time, baby
Hot or cold
Don't break me down (don't break me down)
I've been travelin' too long (I've been travelin' too long)
I've been trying too hard (I've been trying too hard)
With one pretty song (with one pretty song)
I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast
I am alone at midnight
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I
I've got a war in my mind
So, I just ride
Just ride, I just ride, I just ride
Dying young and playing hard
That's the way my father made his life an art
Drink all day and we talk 'til dark
That's the way the road doves do it, ride 'til dark
Don't leave me now (don't leave me now)
Don't say good bye (don't say good bye)
Don't turn around (don't turn around)
Leave me high and dry (leave me high and dry)
I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast
I am alone at midnight
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I
I've got a war in my mind
I just ride
Just ride, I just ride, I just ride
I'm tired of feeling like I'm fucking crazy
I'm tired of driving 'til I see stars in my eyes
All I've got to keep myself sane, baby
So I just ride, I just ride
I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast
I am alone at midnight
Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I
I've got a war in my mind
I just ride
Just ride, I just ride, I just ride
Lyrics submitted by thrwmyhrtawy., edited by mike, daisychain26, dahliablack, RamblngRamblr
Ride Lyrics as written by Justin Parker Elizabeth Grant
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
This song is so deep and precious to me because i feel the same way as Lana does in the song. This song is about how you've been trying to keep your head up high and not loose your mind over everything that happens in your life. I feel sometimes that no one will love me and that is exactly what Lana is singing about. She's depressed and lonely and feels that no one will love her so she just "rides". The meaning to this is she knows nothing will get better so she just tries to feel happy in the moment and ride.