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'm down for adventure
Too loud to live small
Too proud to be captured
By the grim
I've got one chance
And I choose to stand
I look to the future and my
My freedoms at hand
I want a Bigger Life
Than the one that surrounds us
I want a bigger, and badder, fatter, ladder to the stars
I want a Bigger Life
Long distance swimmer
Headed straight for the storm
I'm out of my depth
But on my way
Most people die
With their music still inside
So cough all you want little man
I'm opening wide
I want a Bigger Life
Than the one that surrounds us
I want a bigger, a badder, fatter, ladder to the stars
I want a strenuous life
One won and lost on the edge of a knife
I wasn't made for these comfortable times
I'm gonna live...I'm gonna live
I've been withholding
But I'm done with that
Not dumbing myself down to fit in
You can stare, you can swear, go ahead and punch the air
There's nothing left, it's too little in here
Yeah, you misjudged me
I am the sun
I'm the explosion
The boom has begun
Bigger Life
Too loud to live small
Too proud to be captured
By the grim
I've got one chance
And I choose to stand
I look to the future and my
My freedoms at hand
I want a Bigger Life
Than the one that surrounds us
I want a bigger, and badder, fatter, ladder to the stars
I want a Bigger Life
Long distance swimmer
Headed straight for the storm
I'm out of my depth
But on my way
Most people die
With their music still inside
So cough all you want little man
I'm opening wide
I want a Bigger Life
Than the one that surrounds us
I want a bigger, a badder, fatter, ladder to the stars
I want a strenuous life
One won and lost on the edge of a knife
I wasn't made for these comfortable times
I'm gonna live...I'm gonna live
I've been withholding
But I'm done with that
Not dumbing myself down to fit in
You can stare, you can swear, go ahead and punch the air
There's nothing left, it's too little in here
Yeah, you misjudged me
I am the sun
I'm the explosion
The boom has begun
Bigger Life
Lyrics submitted by Skibz777
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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.
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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,