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.
You had something to hide
Should've hidden it, shouldn't you?
Now you're not satisfied
With what you're being put through
It's just time to pay the price
For not listening to advice
And deciding in your youth
On the policy of truth
Things could be so different now
It used to be so civilized
You will always wonder how
It could have been if you'd only lied
It's too late to change events
It's time to face the consequence
For delivering the proof
In the policy of truth
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Now you're standing there tongue-tied
You'd better learn your lesson well
Hide what you have to hide
And tell what you have to tell
You'll see your problems multiplied
If you continually decide
To faithfully pursue
The policy of truth
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Should've hidden it, shouldn't you?
Now you're not satisfied
With what you're being put through
It's just time to pay the price
For not listening to advice
And deciding in your youth
On the policy of truth
Things could be so different now
It used to be so civilized
You will always wonder how
It could have been if you'd only lied
It's too late to change events
It's time to face the consequence
For delivering the proof
In the policy of truth
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Now you're standing there tongue-tied
You'd better learn your lesson well
Hide what you have to hide
And tell what you have to tell
You'll see your problems multiplied
If you continually decide
To faithfully pursue
The policy of truth
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Never again is what you swore
The time before
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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
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.
'Truth' makes fun of 'Honesty is the best policy'. Quite simply, it isn't. And no one is completely honest. Excuses and exceptions are irrelevant - 'To spare someone's feeling'. No Mr.& Mrs. Morals-Hypocrite. We are all selfishly dishonest nearly every day and often times it saves OUR asses. We all know this; we all do it.... and then have the gall to ask for a mate who is completely honest. Depeche Mode is simply stating something that's dawned on all of us at numerous points in our lives when we 'bought' the going statement about honest/policy, and that is, "I should've lied". Might not make you feel good to admit, but it can sometimes to tell a lie. Besides, it's not the responsibility of truth to make anyone feel good. I rest.
@proteus Yep. The truth is not for comfort. In the long run, the truth is not about "my" or "our". The truth is about removing corruption. Whilst the majority of human America, and the human race is so gleefully exploiting nature majorly for the comfort of the human race, I am sure you will find us few and far between, mainly so-called autism/Asperger's/schizophrenics/"weirdos" who understand that the (Our/Me/My/Mine/We/They/Them/Those)mentality has been the root of corruption for the majority of the human species. Somehow, there is a delusion that we are not all connected and our actions are not all interconnected, and we all, everything on Earth and beyond, succeed TOGETHER or perish TOGETHER.<br /> ANIMALS, ROCKS, FUNGI, AMOEBA, EUKARYOTIC AND ALL OTHER SCHEMED HIERARCHIES WE HAVE THUS FAR PERCEIVED. <br /> <br /> The modes ego that is at best a necessary gross immature negligence that Nature has purported within us, for progress or out of its own boredom, is evolving, and we are nearing another major step in maturity as an Earth. Not a species, not a race, not a fcking culture society economy horsesht self-important *sshat kingdom commonwealth nation state dichotomous pompousness. <br /> <br /> Would gladly be excited to take part in all of this more, yet the "human earth" has yet to be succeeded by the Earth by all conditioned perceptions. Perceptions that continue to be exploited, molded, and contrived for the sake of fabricated oppressive regimes, and it breaks my heart, yea it breaks my heart. It breaks my ha ha ha ha ha ha heart. It breaks my heart. It breaks my heart. It breaks my heart.