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.
I take my pills and I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I love my girl but she ain't worth the price
She ain't worth the price
No, she ain't worth the price
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
We can go to my house if you wanna
Hang out in my bedroom, lose your honor
Even if they find us, we're apathetic
And they can't take that away
I take my pills and I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I love my girl but she ain't worth the price
She ain't worth the price
No, she ain't worth the price
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
The voices in my right brain are kinda funny
They tell me, "take a deep breath, it's always sunny"
But where I leave the light side
It's so obvious
My life's pretty plain
I take my pills and I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I love my girl but she ain't worth the price
She ain't worth the price
No, she ain't worth the price
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
We take strange things to feel normal
We take strange things to feel normal
We take strange things to feel normal
To feel normal, to feel normal
I take my pills and I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I love my girl but she ain't worth the price
She ain't worth the price
No, she ain't worth the price
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la (yeah, yeah, now)
La la la la la la la la la la (yeah, yeah, now)
I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I love my girl but she ain't worth the price
She ain't worth the price
No, she ain't worth the price
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
We can go to my house if you wanna
Hang out in my bedroom, lose your honor
Even if they find us, we're apathetic
And they can't take that away
I take my pills and I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I love my girl but she ain't worth the price
She ain't worth the price
No, she ain't worth the price
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
The voices in my right brain are kinda funny
They tell me, "take a deep breath, it's always sunny"
But where I leave the light side
It's so obvious
My life's pretty plain
I take my pills and I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I love my girl but she ain't worth the price
She ain't worth the price
No, she ain't worth the price
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
We take strange things to feel normal
We take strange things to feel normal
We take strange things to feel normal
To feel normal, to feel normal
I take my pills and I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I'm happy all the time
I love my girl but she ain't worth the price
She ain't worth the price
No, she ain't worth the price
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la
La la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la (yeah, yeah, now)
La la la la la la la la la la (yeah, yeah, now)
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
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Fast Car
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
I think happy pills either refers to antidepressants or ecstasy. He takes his pills and he’s happy all the time because either it’s an exaggeration of being the opposite of depressed, or because it’s the side effect of ecstasy. His girl ain’t worth the price because either she’s making him feel worse (Eg. She’s a gold digger, she’s abusive, ect), or because he’s wasted all his money and time in ecstasy.
From here on out I’m solely focused on the antidepressant angle, rather than the ecstasy angle.
“Hang out in my bedroom/lose your honour” - id assume, possibly because his depression, he has a low reputation, not helped by the act of cheating, so having sex with him would make one “lose [their] honour”. “Even if they find us, we’re apathetic” - a common thing with depression or even some antidepressants. He doesn’t really care about his reputation anymore, but he still has his apathy.
“The voices in the right brain are kinda funny” - he’s trying to be positive, but it’s a struggle (“they tell me take a deep breath, it’s alway sunny”) He feels like his life is plain and boring due to his depression.
“We take strange things to feel normal” - it’s considered “abnormal” to take drugs to feel somewhat normal. People consider the medication to be “strange things”. But taking them makes him feel somewhat normal.