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.
At the turn of the century
We were all in the past
We were half of us dreamers
Who love the other half
And some married the message
And some carried the news
And some stayed on the border
The unfortunate few
Am I wasting my time
Am I wasting my time
In a bottle of bruises
On the words and the rhymes
The true length of a lie
Is a list of excuses
And it’s measuring up
Just to do or to die
I don’t know where the time goes
When it isn’t here
At the eve of the hour
Was I even there
We swore we were better
And we were going somewhere
A generational fever
On the fabric of a fear
Oh I know what I know now
I left the water for the fire show
I cleaned swept it
I hightailed it from the tide
But that’s not victory to declare
I did not notice love was there
I turned a corner unaware
And love had died
Oh I’m turned around on a dime
And spinning all the time
I threw it all out on the table
Drew it all out on the line
I’ve got a million regrets
And i’m sorry for everything
I’ve ever done sometimes
But it’s nowhere near sunset
And baby we’ve got years yet
Baby we’ve got years
Baby we’ve got years
Baby we’ve got years
We were all in the past
We were half of us dreamers
Who love the other half
And some married the message
And some carried the news
And some stayed on the border
The unfortunate few
Am I wasting my time
Am I wasting my time
In a bottle of bruises
On the words and the rhymes
The true length of a lie
Is a list of excuses
And it’s measuring up
Just to do or to die
I don’t know where the time goes
When it isn’t here
At the eve of the hour
Was I even there
We swore we were better
And we were going somewhere
A generational fever
On the fabric of a fear
Oh I know what I know now
I left the water for the fire show
I cleaned swept it
I hightailed it from the tide
But that’s not victory to declare
I did not notice love was there
I turned a corner unaware
And love had died
Oh I’m turned around on a dime
And spinning all the time
I threw it all out on the table
Drew it all out on the line
I’ve got a million regrets
And i’m sorry for everything
I’ve ever done sometimes
But it’s nowhere near sunset
And baby we’ve got years yet
Baby we’ve got years
Baby we’ve got years
Baby we’ve got years
Lyrics submitted by bscl43
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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.
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