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.
It's hard to walk through all the places that your life used to be in
So you thought you'd shed a layer, maybe try on some new skin
Your friends are all imaginary, your shrink stopped answering her phone
So you decide to make incisions at your home while you're alone, all alone
But you're no tailor, you're no surgeon, none of your cuts go very straight
Every new layer you uncover reveals something else you hate
And then you cracked your head, and broke some bones
And when you glued them back together you found out you did it wrong
Well this is the same logic that got us into trouble the first time
(When we discovered we could use)
The same logic to get us out of trouble
And shake off all the people we abuse
I don't need to know where you come from
If you don't know where you belong
So how's it feel to walk around, like you're some sort of freak
You're just an actor, ain't no doctor
Ashamed of what you used to be
And you've got your kind of brand new face on, where all the skin's pulled thin and taut
And every kid you see starts crying so you stop going out for walks
Well I guess nothing can be perfect, so here's a comforting thought
At the bottom of the ocean fish won't judge you by your faults
(Judge you by your faults)
Well this is the same logic that got us into trouble the first time
(When we discovered we could use)
The same logic to get us out of trouble
And shake off all the people we abuse
Don't need to know where you come from
If you don't know where you belong
So how's it feel to walk around, like you're some sort of freak
You're just an actor, but now they caught you
Ashamed of what you used to be
Goddamnit you look so lovely, but you sound, you sound, you sound so ugly
Goddamnit you look so lovely, but you sound, you sound, you sound so ugly
Well Goddamnit, you look so lovely, but you sound, you sound, you sound so ugly
Well Goddamnit, you look so lovely, but you sound, you sound, you sound so ugly
Boy, we gave you every opportunity
Boy we gave our hands to get you off your knees
Boy sat at our table and ate everything
You say that you're still hungry, then bite the plates and break your teeth
We started with psychodrama
So you thought you'd shed a layer, maybe try on some new skin
Your friends are all imaginary, your shrink stopped answering her phone
So you decide to make incisions at your home while you're alone, all alone
But you're no tailor, you're no surgeon, none of your cuts go very straight
Every new layer you uncover reveals something else you hate
And then you cracked your head, and broke some bones
And when you glued them back together you found out you did it wrong
Well this is the same logic that got us into trouble the first time
(When we discovered we could use)
The same logic to get us out of trouble
And shake off all the people we abuse
I don't need to know where you come from
If you don't know where you belong
So how's it feel to walk around, like you're some sort of freak
You're just an actor, ain't no doctor
Ashamed of what you used to be
And you've got your kind of brand new face on, where all the skin's pulled thin and taut
And every kid you see starts crying so you stop going out for walks
Well I guess nothing can be perfect, so here's a comforting thought
At the bottom of the ocean fish won't judge you by your faults
(Judge you by your faults)
Well this is the same logic that got us into trouble the first time
(When we discovered we could use)
The same logic to get us out of trouble
And shake off all the people we abuse
Don't need to know where you come from
If you don't know where you belong
So how's it feel to walk around, like you're some sort of freak
You're just an actor, but now they caught you
Ashamed of what you used to be
Goddamnit you look so lovely, but you sound, you sound, you sound so ugly
Goddamnit you look so lovely, but you sound, you sound, you sound so ugly
Well Goddamnit, you look so lovely, but you sound, you sound, you sound so ugly
Well Goddamnit, you look so lovely, but you sound, you sound, you sound so ugly
Boy, we gave you every opportunity
Boy we gave our hands to get you off your knees
Boy sat at our table and ate everything
You say that you're still hungry, then bite the plates and break your teeth
We started with psychodrama
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Light Up The Sky
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No Surprises
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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.
Head > Heels
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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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.
I think this song is about having a friendship with a self destructive person who doesn't have self awareness and follows a detrimental path for them and the relationships with other people.. Possibly it's a metaphor for narcissistic personality traits, which are notoriously difficult to work with.
The outro ("boy...") hints at aiding this person, medicating them and giving them opportunities, but they still follow the unenlightened path of greed or self indulgence. One of Brand New's best songs IMO