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.
Lemme see you put your hearts up, yeah lemme see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love, maybe we can change the world
You think you're so small
Like you're itty bitty.
Just one match in the lights of the city
Walking by strangers on the side of the street
Like a quarter in a cup'll get 'em off on their feet, like
You think you're never gonna make your mark
Sit back and watch the world while it falls apart, like
Out of sight out of mind, like, like
It's just a waste of time
Like, like, like
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
I said
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
Sing it if you with me
All you boys and all you girls
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
Wishing on a shooting star in the sky
We can do anything if we try
Can't resurrect Ghandi
Resurrect but
If we put our heads together
We can do anything like
You don't have to be a billionare
You don't have to have much
To show how much care
Like give a wink
Give a kiss
Like give a little happiness
Like like like
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
I said
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
Sing it if you with me
All you boys and all you girls
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
Don't let em bring you down now, down now
Don't let em bring you down now, down now
And get up in the love now love now
And get up in the love now love now
Don't let em bring you down now, down now
Don't let em bring you down now, down now
And get up in the love now love now
And get up in the love now love now
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
I said
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
Sing it if you with me
All you boys and all you girls
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
If we give a little love, maybe we can change the world
You think you're so small
Like you're itty bitty.
Just one match in the lights of the city
Walking by strangers on the side of the street
Like a quarter in a cup'll get 'em off on their feet, like
You think you're never gonna make your mark
Sit back and watch the world while it falls apart, like
Out of sight out of mind, like, like
It's just a waste of time
Like, like, like
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
I said
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
Sing it if you with me
All you boys and all you girls
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
Wishing on a shooting star in the sky
We can do anything if we try
Can't resurrect Ghandi
Resurrect but
If we put our heads together
We can do anything like
You don't have to be a billionare
You don't have to have much
To show how much care
Like give a wink
Give a kiss
Like give a little happiness
Like like like
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
I said
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
Sing it if you with me
All you boys and all you girls
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
Don't let em bring you down now, down now
Don't let em bring you down now, down now
And get up in the love now love now
And get up in the love now love now
Don't let em bring you down now, down now
Don't let em bring you down now, down now
And get up in the love now love now
And get up in the love now love now
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
I said
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hey, yeah, yeah
Sing it if you with me
All you boys and all you girls
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
Let me see you put your hearts up, yeah
If we give a little love
Maybe we can change the world
Hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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"
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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.
I think that this song is talking about how you can make a difference if you try. In the song it says that people will try to bring you down but don't let them.
Ariana dislikes this song and thought it was a nightmare. She also hated the video where she explained she "got a fake spray tan and was put into a dress in the middle of the street"
This song is great and if Ariana worked on this song again I would be so happy