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.
Tides of glass, return to ash.
In the dawn, we follow the path away from the sun.
Shadows cast in wake of the past.
Reaching out, into the dark and out of the light.
Crawling underneath our feet,
A river running black and green
From the heart of the gallows tree,
Where the future and our fate
Will bleed into the world below.
Stone to bear the mountain stairs.
In the night, we dance with our devils and dine with the snakes.
The dead will stare in joy and despair
Rising up, away from the earth, into the clouds.
From the eye of the Graeae we stole,
A truth that we can't unknow.
Spinning on the threads they sew
In a river of the tears that flow into the world below.
Over, under, threads of fate.
Weaving patterns, soon and late.
As in this life, so in all things
The end result, the action brings.
The fates will divide in three.
A sight that we can't unsee.
We're falling to our hands and knees
As the past and the future bleed into the world below.
In the dawn, we follow the path away from the sun.
Shadows cast in wake of the past.
Reaching out, into the dark and out of the light.
Crawling underneath our feet,
A river running black and green
From the heart of the gallows tree,
Where the future and our fate
Will bleed into the world below.
Stone to bear the mountain stairs.
In the night, we dance with our devils and dine with the snakes.
The dead will stare in joy and despair
Rising up, away from the earth, into the clouds.
From the eye of the Graeae we stole,
A truth that we can't unknow.
Spinning on the threads they sew
In a river of the tears that flow into the world below.
Over, under, threads of fate.
Weaving patterns, soon and late.
As in this life, so in all things
The end result, the action brings.
The fates will divide in three.
A sight that we can't unsee.
We're falling to our hands and knees
As the past and the future bleed into the world below.
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Just want to jump in and say that "Divide" references the present, which is the divide between the past and the future referenced through the song.
There's also many references to a "divide" through the song, such as "into the dark and out of the light", "black and green", "joy and despair", "soon and late", "over, under", "the earth and the clouds"
@Orichalcon hey, thanks so much for the details on this one. But I can't seem to understand one thing - since English is not my native language :( - what does "tides of glass" mean? Could you help me with this 'cause I got hopeless trying to figure it out :(