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.
My God is better than yours
And the walls of my house are so thick
I hear nothing at all
I followed you out in the storm
But it carried you off
And I burned every picture of yours
Was that not enough?
My gun is bigger than yours
So let's arm the masses
And see what the bastards do then
Walking tall once set us apart
Now we're down on all fours
Do you cry my name in the dark
Like I do yours?
These storms are getting stronger now
Trusses all bend and sway
Lightning hits, the power goes out in the fray
As the waves crash high
And the shoreline disappears
I will scream to the sky
"Hey, people live here."
My dreams are not unlike yours
They long for the safety
And break like a glass chandelier
But there's laughter and oh there is love
Just past the edge of our fears
And there's chaos when push comes to shove
But it's music to my ears
May you be in Heaven before the Devil knows you're dead
May these winds be always at your back
'Cause when we're all just ghosts
And the madness overtakes us
We will look at the ashes
And say, People lived here
From the penthouse to the holy martyr
Sea to shining sea
From the coffins full of kindergartners
Is this what you call free?
From the hate that drips from all your crosses
Are your hands so clean?
And the wildfire and it's spreading far
From sea to shining sea
When we're all just ghosts
And the madness overtakes us
I will scream to the sky, yeah I'll scream to the sky
Yeah I'll scream to the sky
Hey, people live here
And the walls of my house are so thick
I hear nothing at all
I followed you out in the storm
But it carried you off
And I burned every picture of yours
Was that not enough?
My gun is bigger than yours
So let's arm the masses
And see what the bastards do then
Walking tall once set us apart
Now we're down on all fours
Do you cry my name in the dark
Like I do yours?
These storms are getting stronger now
Trusses all bend and sway
Lightning hits, the power goes out in the fray
As the waves crash high
And the shoreline disappears
I will scream to the sky
"Hey, people live here."
My dreams are not unlike yours
They long for the safety
And break like a glass chandelier
But there's laughter and oh there is love
Just past the edge of our fears
And there's chaos when push comes to shove
But it's music to my ears
May you be in Heaven before the Devil knows you're dead
May these winds be always at your back
'Cause when we're all just ghosts
And the madness overtakes us
We will look at the ashes
And say, People lived here
From the penthouse to the holy martyr
Sea to shining sea
From the coffins full of kindergartners
Is this what you call free?
From the hate that drips from all your crosses
Are your hands so clean?
And the wildfire and it's spreading far
From sea to shining sea
When we're all just ghosts
And the madness overtakes us
I will scream to the sky, yeah I'll scream to the sky
Yeah I'll scream to the sky
Hey, people live here
Lyrics submitted by internettoughguy56, edited by carlalsford
People Live Here Lyrics as written by Timothy Mcilrath
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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."
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I'm not really sure what the song is about. It seems to be about people who are hiding behind a fake image.
"My god is better than yours, And the walls of my house are so thick I hear nothing at all"
This to me is saying that people are stuck in their own thoughts and won't listen to anything anyone else has to say that goes against their thoughts.
The second verse sounds like it's about how we used to take pride in ourselves and now we are like slaves, or scared. Along the lines of we used to hold ourselves high and had something great and now we have fallen because of the very things that made us that way.
The storms and lightning part seems to mean that something with great power or force is bending us, making great people bad. When that power strikes down and makes a decision, everyone runs, or shuts down, instead of fighting back. Seems like he's alone in a fight against something that he alone cannot fight.
The third verse is saying that we are all alike. We need to come together and we can make everything better and happier if we over come the stronger power, he loves to hear about people fighting the stronger power.
I think the fourth verse is saying Something along the lines of, he hopes that all goes well, because if we let it go, we will regret it when were dead. We will see everything and realize that something could have been done.
In the last part he's making it clear that it is an American problem, it is everyone's fault, from the rich, to the people who are supposed to be leaders. We are allowing events like the death of children to go unchanged. No one is seeing the problem we need to stop. Its everywhere. "From sea to shining sea". Those we are supposed to look up to are not exactly what they should be. "Are your hands so clean"?
Just my opinion.