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.
Who's that talking? I heard someone speak to me
It came from within, a voice that's crying to be free
But I'm a puppet and that is all
My life's the strings and that's all
Free me
I want to live my life as it was planned
I want to take my Father's hand
And I want to know forgiveness
I want to start again
Oh take away these strings
And set me free
How can this be, tell me what is happening
'Cause I'm just a puppet, I tied myself into these strings
That weave their silk around my life
And lead me on, and that is all
Free me
I want to live my life as it was planned
I want to take my Father's hand
And I want to know forgiveness
I want to start again
Oh take away these strings
And set me free
But if I cut my strings surely I'll only fall down
What manner of joke's this, a puppet changed into a clown?
Don't jest with me I know my place and here I'll stay
To strings I'm tied therefore a puppet I must be
I'll only move when my strings pull that part of me
And that is all
Free me
I want to live my life as it was planned
I want to take my Father's hand
Step into the promised land
I want to learn to dance, yes I do
Happy ever after is the way I'm going to be
When I let your love come into me
The masks of grief and laughter you'll take away from me
And from these strings you'll forever
Free me
I want to live my life as it was planned
I want to take my Father's hand
And I want to know forgiveness
I want to start again
Oh take away these strings
Free me, I want to live my as it was planned
And so that I can stand
I want to take my Fathers hand
And step into the promised land
I'm going to learn to dance, yes I am
It came from within, a voice that's crying to be free
But I'm a puppet and that is all
My life's the strings and that's all
Free me
I want to live my life as it was planned
I want to take my Father's hand
And I want to know forgiveness
I want to start again
Oh take away these strings
And set me free
How can this be, tell me what is happening
'Cause I'm just a puppet, I tied myself into these strings
That weave their silk around my life
And lead me on, and that is all
Free me
I want to live my life as it was planned
I want to take my Father's hand
And I want to know forgiveness
I want to start again
Oh take away these strings
And set me free
But if I cut my strings surely I'll only fall down
What manner of joke's this, a puppet changed into a clown?
Don't jest with me I know my place and here I'll stay
To strings I'm tied therefore a puppet I must be
I'll only move when my strings pull that part of me
And that is all
Free me
I want to live my life as it was planned
I want to take my Father's hand
Step into the promised land
I want to learn to dance, yes I do
Happy ever after is the way I'm going to be
When I let your love come into me
The masks of grief and laughter you'll take away from me
And from these strings you'll forever
Free me
I want to live my life as it was planned
I want to take my Father's hand
And I want to know forgiveness
I want to start again
Oh take away these strings
Free me, I want to live my as it was planned
And so that I can stand
I want to take my Fathers hand
And step into the promised land
I'm going to learn to dance, yes I am
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
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.