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.
If love's a sweet passion, why does it torment
If a bitter, oh tell me whence comes my content
Since I suffered with pleasure, why should I complain
Or grieve at my fate when I know 'tis in vain
Yet so pleasing the pain is, so soft is the dart
That at once it both wounds me and tickles my heart
Yeah, yeah
I've been good for most of my life
Never struggled with a halo, wrong or right
Been around the world, crossed the stormy sea
I'm under your spell and I can't break free now
I gave my heart, gave it all to you
But the flames of love have burned right through
Baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
I could cut this stone from round my neck
And swim away from this shipwreck
Oh, you can't suck the life from me
I'm under your spell, don't wanna break free
Well, baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Well, I can't get away from you
I can't get away from you
I can't get away from you
Well, no
Well, baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Don't it feel like heaven
Don't it feel like heaven, oh no
Don't it feel like heaven
You make me feel like heaven, ooh
You make me feel like heaven, ooh, ooh
You feel like heaven
If a bitter, oh tell me whence comes my content
Since I suffered with pleasure, why should I complain
Or grieve at my fate when I know 'tis in vain
Yet so pleasing the pain is, so soft is the dart
That at once it both wounds me and tickles my heart
Yeah, yeah
I've been good for most of my life
Never struggled with a halo, wrong or right
Been around the world, crossed the stormy sea
I'm under your spell and I can't break free now
I gave my heart, gave it all to you
But the flames of love have burned right through
Baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
I could cut this stone from round my neck
And swim away from this shipwreck
Oh, you can't suck the life from me
I'm under your spell, don't wanna break free
Well, baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Well, I can't get away from you
I can't get away from you
I can't get away from you
Well, no
Well, baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Baby
Well, baby
Well, baby
Don't it feel like heaven, heaven
In this hell
Don't it feel like heaven
Don't it feel like heaven, oh no
Don't it feel like heaven
You make me feel like heaven, ooh
You make me feel like heaven, ooh, ooh
You feel like heaven
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Love Ori!