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.
Someone carved you out of ivory
With some porcelain and brass
Then they looked upon your face
And they knew they'd done their task
So they tore their tools to pieces
Laid em underneath the grass
There wont be another like you
I don't even have to ask
I stumbled on you sitting on
The bench beside the bank
By the river where the dam was
Before the old town went and sank
Said I'd be grateful just to sit
Could you spare a little plank
You said I found it when I got here
So you ain't got me to thank
That's a love that cant be broken
That's the sting of a heart cut open
That's the thing about blind devotion
That's a love that can't be broken
A love that can't be broken
Well I can sing the lead
And you can sing the harmony
We could play out on the porch
Let it blow off in the breeze
We can listen as it lingers
Through the leaves left on the trees
Well can stay out on till the sun comes rising
Up from end to East
Cause we live in the city now
We live along the shore
We looked twice before we left
But we don't look back no more
We fell sick for one another
May we never find the cure
You can handle my best easy
I can try to handle yours.
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the sting of a heart cut open
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Its the way you stay right by my side
Its the way you lay your lips on mine
You're the rarest thing that I'll ever find
My love
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the sting of a heart cut open
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the sting of a heart cut open
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the sting of a heart cut open
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
With some porcelain and brass
Then they looked upon your face
And they knew they'd done their task
So they tore their tools to pieces
Laid em underneath the grass
There wont be another like you
I don't even have to ask
I stumbled on you sitting on
The bench beside the bank
By the river where the dam was
Before the old town went and sank
Said I'd be grateful just to sit
Could you spare a little plank
You said I found it when I got here
So you ain't got me to thank
That's a love that cant be broken
That's the sting of a heart cut open
That's the thing about blind devotion
That's a love that can't be broken
A love that can't be broken
Well I can sing the lead
And you can sing the harmony
We could play out on the porch
Let it blow off in the breeze
We can listen as it lingers
Through the leaves left on the trees
Well can stay out on till the sun comes rising
Up from end to East
Cause we live in the city now
We live along the shore
We looked twice before we left
But we don't look back no more
We fell sick for one another
May we never find the cure
You can handle my best easy
I can try to handle yours.
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the sting of a heart cut open
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Its the way you stay right by my side
Its the way you lay your lips on mine
You're the rarest thing that I'll ever find
My love
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the sting of a heart cut open
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the sting of a heart cut open
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the sting of a heart cut open
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats the thing about blind devotion
Thats a love that cant be broken
Thats a love that cant be broken
Lyrics submitted by Skoobasteve24
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.