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.
Love on an atom,
Love on a cloud,
To see the birth of all that isn't now
Can you imagine a love that is so proud?
It never has to question why or how
So I'd abandon the love in my dreams
When I wake up I'm soaking in my sheets
Breathe
Breathe
Believe, believe, believe, believe
For all of our youth
We have craved them
Their beauty and their truth
Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe
Believe, believe, believe, believe
Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe
Believe, believe
That we are loud like
Love on an atom
Love on a cloud
To see the birth of all that isn't now
Can you imagine a love that is so proud?
It never has to question why or how
For all of our youth
We have craved them
Their beauty and their truth
So we name them
And somehow they pull us through
We have craved them
For all of our youth
Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe
Believe, Believe, believe, believe
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
Love on a cloud,
To see the birth of all that isn't now
Can you imagine a love that is so proud?
It never has to question why or how
So I'd abandon the love in my dreams
When I wake up I'm soaking in my sheets
Breathe
Breathe
Believe, believe, believe, believe
For all of our youth
We have craved them
Their beauty and their truth
Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe
Believe, believe, believe, believe
Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe
Believe, believe
That we are loud like
Love on an atom
Love on a cloud
To see the birth of all that isn't now
Can you imagine a love that is so proud?
It never has to question why or how
For all of our youth
We have craved them
Their beauty and their truth
So we name them
And somehow they pull us through
We have craved them
For all of our youth
Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe
Believe, Believe, believe, believe
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
We are loud like love
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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.
Dreamwalker
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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.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
No Surprises
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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.
To me, this song is obviously about parent/child relationship. "Love on an atom, love on a cloud." ~ Birth and death.
"To see the birth of all that isn't now." ~ Birth, again.
"Can you imagine a love that is so proud, it never has to question why or how?" ~ The love of a parent is unconditional.
"Total abandon, the love in my dreams. When I wake? I'm soaking in my sheets." ~ To me this has to do with how obsessive parents about taking care of their kids. Even when they dream.
"Breathe, breathe..." ~ A woman giving birth
"Believe, believe, believe."
"For all of our youth we have? craved them." ~ The idea of being a parent is always in our minds, even when we are young.
"Their beauty and their truth" ~ Children are beautiful and truthful.
"Breathe, breathe, breathe... Believe, believe, believe that we are loud like..." ~ Kids carry on our believes... and they are loud!
"Love on an atom, love on a cloud."
"For all of our youth, we have craved them. Their beauty and their truth."
"So we name them and somehow they pull us through." ~ Very literal. You name your sons, you give them an identity and take care of them but in the end, they are the ones who give you strength and help you make it through life.
This song definitely makes? me think about my parents. <3
My first impression was that it's about children, too, but some lines don't fit in. Like "For all of our youth, we have craved them" - young people normally don't crave children...<br /> Anyway, I think it's the most optimistic Placebo song ever :)
I think this song is about childbirth as well. The main character talks about this amazing dream that is becoming a reality for them. They had their love and now he's asking her: 'To see the birth of all that isn't now Can you imagine a love that is so proud?'. He still can't believe he's about to be a parent. Abandoning the love in the dreams might refer to giving up what he once thought was love because when you become a parent, you discover that there's another level of love.
The love you have for your child is stronger than for any partner you could have. And the main character really wanted to be a parent: 'For all of our youth We have craved them Their beauty and their truth' - Children are innocent and always tell the truth. And that's the beauty about them. And yes, 'So we name them And somehow they pull us through' is showing how much strength we gain by being a parent. It's a whole different adventure. A new challenge unlike anything else, but children give us the strength to. So yeah, this song is all about becoming a parent.
"When you think of the first song 'Loud Like Love' being perhaps the first initial euphoric rushes of infatuation, and innocent discovery and youthful abandon..."
vanyaland.com/2013/10/18/interview-brian-molko-placebo-new-record-loud-like-love-bands-evolution-since-90s-vulnerable-moment-career/