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.
The morals of life and the perils of death
Take the wrong way out running out of breath
Meet my match in the afterlife
Suppress the demons that plague the night
A tortured mind is a safe place to go
But the truth lurks down in the dark below
Step inside my inquisitive mind
Are you scared at what you just might find
See myself in the hall of mirrors
A different shape every step I take
A different mind every step of the line
But in the end they are all mine
Laughing sorrow inside your head
Can't get out just a feeling of dread
I know this burden's a heavy load
A dark mistake never ending road
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
The black jack king and the red queen clash
The artful dodger he counts his stash
The joker's wild like an impish child
While madame fortune she waits inside
The good luck charm is overkill
The tired old soldier says fire at will
Planes overhead go search destroy
The ones below human decoy
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
I need somebody to save me
Meanwhile we play the waiting game
The clock is struck the horse is lame
And when we think that this is done
Chance your luck a four leafed one
You hedge your bets the battle lost
To wait in vain and count the cost
The thin edged line
Between good and bad
And cast the luck be happy sad
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
I need somebody to save me
The red and the black
People don't want the truth
Look in their eyes and you send them away
The red and the black
Fate and hypocrisy
Burden's a heavy load there is no doubt
The red and the black
All out of luck again
How many chances can anyone have
The red and the black
Treachery out to win
There in the wrong place and at the wrong time
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
I need somebody to save me
Take the wrong way out running out of breath
Meet my match in the afterlife
Suppress the demons that plague the night
A tortured mind is a safe place to go
But the truth lurks down in the dark below
Step inside my inquisitive mind
Are you scared at what you just might find
See myself in the hall of mirrors
A different shape every step I take
A different mind every step of the line
But in the end they are all mine
Laughing sorrow inside your head
Can't get out just a feeling of dread
I know this burden's a heavy load
A dark mistake never ending road
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
The black jack king and the red queen clash
The artful dodger he counts his stash
The joker's wild like an impish child
While madame fortune she waits inside
The good luck charm is overkill
The tired old soldier says fire at will
Planes overhead go search destroy
The ones below human decoy
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
I need somebody to save me
Meanwhile we play the waiting game
The clock is struck the horse is lame
And when we think that this is done
Chance your luck a four leafed one
You hedge your bets the battle lost
To wait in vain and count the cost
The thin edged line
Between good and bad
And cast the luck be happy sad
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
I need somebody to save me
The red and the black
People don't want the truth
Look in their eyes and you send them away
The red and the black
Fate and hypocrisy
Burden's a heavy load there is no doubt
The red and the black
All out of luck again
How many chances can anyone have
The red and the black
Treachery out to win
There in the wrong place and at the wrong time
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
Whoa-oh, whoa-oh
I need somebody to save me
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
The Red And The Black Lyrics as written by Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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“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.