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.
After having spent a fast year
Waiting for the next time I can get you close
I grew used to being back here
Like a chorus synth line soldier at his post
You call and I respond
The sparrow and the song
I miss you when you're gone
When I am alone, I
See you in the dark, I
Talk into the empty
Like you were with me
Started on a cold night
Felt you in the low light
Noticing the reflex
Taking over me
I see you when I reach
Muscle memory
Again, off into the next fall
I am on the back steps tryin' to let you in
See you standin' in the front hall
Maybe this is madness underneath my skin
Guess the misery spawns
Or the body it haunts
And we do what it wants
When I am alone, I
See you in the dark, I
Talk into the empty
Like you were with me
Started on a cold night
Felt you in the low light
Noticing the reflex
Taking over me
I see you when I reach
Muscle memory
I feel you when I sleep
Muscle memory
When you feel the chains
Of a thousand words
And I speak your name
Like I know you heard
I can feel you there
I can hear you move
And it moves me, too
When I'm playin' games
When I'm drinkin' wine
And I see your glass
Sittin' next to mine
I can feel you there
When you're not at home
Like I'm not alone
When I am alone, I
See you in the dark, I
Talk into the empty
Like you were with me
Started on a cold night
Felt you in the low light
Noticing the reflex
Taking over me
I see you when I reach
Muscle memory
I feel you when I sleep
Muscle memory
Waiting for the next time I can get you close
I grew used to being back here
Like a chorus synth line soldier at his post
You call and I respond
The sparrow and the song
I miss you when you're gone
When I am alone, I
See you in the dark, I
Talk into the empty
Like you were with me
Started on a cold night
Felt you in the low light
Noticing the reflex
Taking over me
I see you when I reach
Muscle memory
Again, off into the next fall
I am on the back steps tryin' to let you in
See you standin' in the front hall
Maybe this is madness underneath my skin
Guess the misery spawns
Or the body it haunts
And we do what it wants
When I am alone, I
See you in the dark, I
Talk into the empty
Like you were with me
Started on a cold night
Felt you in the low light
Noticing the reflex
Taking over me
I see you when I reach
Muscle memory
I feel you when I sleep
Muscle memory
When you feel the chains
Of a thousand words
And I speak your name
Like I know you heard
I can feel you there
I can hear you move
And it moves me, too
When I'm playin' games
When I'm drinkin' wine
And I see your glass
Sittin' next to mine
I can feel you there
When you're not at home
Like I'm not alone
When I am alone, I
See you in the dark, I
Talk into the empty
Like you were with me
Started on a cold night
Felt you in the low light
Noticing the reflex
Taking over me
I see you when I reach
Muscle memory
I feel you when I sleep
Muscle memory
Lyrics submitted by Lightstonight
Muscle Memory Lyrics as written by Drew Pearson Andrew Pearson
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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First off - to understand this song we must first understand what "muscle memory" is. A definition of muscle memory is not memory of muscles but memories in your brain entacted for tasks in your muscles.
In the beginning of the song she says pretty much that she's been waiting for him to come back to her. Obviously this guys been gone a long time, maybe they broke up and she still has major feelings for him because he was her muse, her everything. But these too were very insync with each other, she was way head over heals for this guy though. If he calls her, she's going to answer no doubt. The Sparrow and the song, the song sparrow is a bird known for singing and high pitch chirps when it cals for its mate to come. And she'll miss him when hecomes and goes. "When I am alone I see you in the dark, I talk into the empty like you were with me, started on a cold night, felt you in the low light noticing the reflex taking over me, I see you when I reach muscle memory" - she's become so use to feeling him right there next to her and she's missing him so much that she reacts off of relfex and she feels him there even when she's not. Next she's saying that here he is again and she can't help but have her hands all over him -guess the misery it spawns or the body it haunts and we do what it wants- she doesn't know if its the misery of being with out him or her body just doing what comes natural to them. Either way you can you can tell she's very in love with him by this point. "When you feel the chains of a thousand words, and I speak your name like I know you heard" - she says his name sometimes when he's not around because she's so use to being next to him its unreal when he's not there so it doesn't cross her mind until she's already said something and then she's like "oh yeah he's not here". She says, " I can feel you there, I can hear you move and it moves me too". She is telling us she is so insync with him that she moves to every movement he does and she feels like he's there so it moves her too. "When I'm playing games and I'm drinking wine, and I see your glass sitting next to mine, I can feel you there when you're not at home, like I'm not alone." Here again she is explaining to us how much she has gotten use to this guy that she feels him even when he's not around. She is infatuated big time, totally in love because she's taken the time to be around this guy and become this way with him. (: Love the song beautifully written. Very powerful!!
It's a about her Husband Beau Bokan. He's constantly out touring with his Band. It's her explaining how she feels when she's at home alone while he's on tour.