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.
Throw me all around
Like a boomerang sky
Whatever you do
Don't tell me why
Poppies grow tall
Then say bye bye
The wave is here
A seamless little team
And then we tanked
I guess we're not so sacrosanct
The tip of my tongue
But then we blanked
The wave is here
Waiting on the wind
To tell my side
Ready set jet
But she never gets far
Listen to your skin
From the seat of my car
Two centipedes stuck
In one glass jar
The longest wave
Waiting on the wind
To tell my side
Whatcha want
Whatcha need
Do you love
Maybe I'm the right one
Maybe I'm the wrong
Just another play, the pirate, and the papillon
Time to call it a day
Maybe you're my last love
Maybe you're my first
Just another way to play inside the universe
Now I know why we came
Sterile as the barrel
Of an old twelve gauge
Under my skin
And half my age
Hotter than the wax
On a saxifrage
The longest wave
Waiting on the wind
To turn my page
Steady your sails
For the butterfly flap
Whatever you do
Don't close that gap
I'm dreaming of a woman
But she's just my nap
Your ship is in
Waiting on the tide so I can swim
Whatcha want
Whatcha need
Do you love
Maybe I'm the right one
Maybe I'm the wrong
Just another play, the pirate, and the papillon
Time to call it a day
Maybe you're my last love
Maybe you're my first
Just another way to play inside the universe
Now I know why we came
Now I know why we came
Now I know
Like a boomerang sky
Whatever you do
Don't tell me why
Poppies grow tall
Then say bye bye
The wave is here
A seamless little team
And then we tanked
I guess we're not so sacrosanct
The tip of my tongue
But then we blanked
The wave is here
Waiting on the wind
To tell my side
Ready set jet
But she never gets far
Listen to your skin
From the seat of my car
Two centipedes stuck
In one glass jar
The longest wave
Waiting on the wind
To tell my side
Whatcha want
Whatcha need
Do you love
Maybe I'm the right one
Maybe I'm the wrong
Just another play, the pirate, and the papillon
Time to call it a day
Maybe you're my last love
Maybe you're my first
Just another way to play inside the universe
Now I know why we came
Sterile as the barrel
Of an old twelve gauge
Under my skin
And half my age
Hotter than the wax
On a saxifrage
The longest wave
Waiting on the wind
To turn my page
Steady your sails
For the butterfly flap
Whatever you do
Don't close that gap
I'm dreaming of a woman
But she's just my nap
Your ship is in
Waiting on the tide so I can swim
Whatcha want
Whatcha need
Do you love
Maybe I'm the right one
Maybe I'm the wrong
Just another play, the pirate, and the papillon
Time to call it a day
Maybe you're my last love
Maybe you're my first
Just another way to play inside the universe
Now I know why we came
Now I know why we came
Now I know
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
The Longest Wave Lyrics as written by Josh Adam Klinghoffer Michael Peter Balzary
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Light Up The Sky
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Van Halen
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Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
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.
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.
The Helena story seems to be the source of this track, but I feel that the song communicates the broader message even when you don't know about their relationship.
The gorgeous musical style of the refrain and the "just another," "time to call it a day," "last love," and the past-tense of "we came" all convey a feeling of finality, certainly felt by Keidis about the end of the relationship. However, there's also a prominent and somber awareness of the continuation of life into the future. Both sides of "maybe wrong/right" and "maybe last/first" have been felt by someone who has lived a long time and has a long time left to live. The "just another" can also be taken as a flag of continuity. That's why I really see this song by its release title and the recurring mention of the "wave." AK has felt this finality years before, but life cycles onward and once again he finds himself at just the same peak or trough as he felt before. The wave is life, and the song is, broadly, about the emotion of connecting with the feelings of your past and future selves.