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.
All alone, the broadening skies
Under thee, every night, I lie (every night, I will lie)
Scratch and claw and grip the rails
Every day, my living hell
Oh God, you know I tried
I know how hard I try
You know I tried
Hey, I'd like to daze away
To a place no one has known
In a state of mind I could call mine
That only I could own
Where I can hum a tune any time I choose
And there's no such thing as time
Where I feel no pain, just calm and sane
What a place for one to find
Now, you see
I'm watching everything I do
And they're watching everything I say
So they will leave me be
Whoa, leave me be
Sometimes, I gotta ask myself, I said
Why am I even here?
And I wonder
You leave me wondering
You leave me wondering
Won't you stop watching me?
I said, they're watching me, watching me, watching me, yeah
Now, in my corner, I got their stealin' in my eyes, and
And arms holding up my knees
And, man, rocking back and forth's my life
I didn't mean to feel this way
When I walked into the door
And they ripped away my memories
And I can't remember who I, who I was before
Lord, no, Lord, no
And now, they're watching everything I do
And they're watching everything I say
So they'll leave me be
Oh, leave me be
And I only wanted to be sixteen
And free, yeah
And I wonder
Under thee, every night, I lie (every night, I will lie)
Scratch and claw and grip the rails
Every day, my living hell
Oh God, you know I tried
I know how hard I try
You know I tried
Hey, I'd like to daze away
To a place no one has known
In a state of mind I could call mine
That only I could own
Where I can hum a tune any time I choose
And there's no such thing as time
Where I feel no pain, just calm and sane
What a place for one to find
Now, you see
I'm watching everything I do
And they're watching everything I say
So they will leave me be
Whoa, leave me be
Sometimes, I gotta ask myself, I said
Why am I even here?
And I wonder
You leave me wondering
You leave me wondering
Won't you stop watching me?
I said, they're watching me, watching me, watching me, yeah
Now, in my corner, I got their stealin' in my eyes, and
And arms holding up my knees
And, man, rocking back and forth's my life
I didn't mean to feel this way
When I walked into the door
And they ripped away my memories
And I can't remember who I, who I was before
Lord, no, Lord, no
And now, they're watching everything I do
And they're watching everything I say
So they'll leave me be
Oh, leave me be
And I only wanted to be sixteen
And free, yeah
And I wonder
Lyrics submitted by bubbrock316, edited by faithfreedom, demonrush
I Wonder Lyrics as written by Shannon Hoon Glen Graham
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i think this song is about an addiction and is trying to get over it. and all these people are looking down on this persona nd he just wants to go back to his world where it was ok. when it states" And I cant remember who I was before.
And I only wanted to be 16 and free." he wants to go back to when he was a teen and he didnt have this addiction but its ahrd to remember the good life or the life he lived before the addiction took over his life.
"I only wanted to be sixteen and free." What a statement, simple, but oh so true. I've felt like that so many times when life gets overly complicated and peace of mind seems to be unobtainable. If I were only 16 again with minimal responsibilities and the freedom to fck sht up and it be ok. Shannon was very much obsessed with youth. In a way, Shannon will be forever young. RIP
@MELONcholy Yep, that line gets me every single time. And that feeling goes deeper with each passing year.
Has anyone noticed that if you completely blast this song (ie volume-wise) that right after Hoon sings "I know how hard I tried. and oh I tried......" there is whispering that says "get me out of here. get me out of here man" right before the electric guitar kicks in? its fuckt.
I'm confused - the comments seem to be about the right song, but the lyrics above are for the song "Soak in the Sin."
here are the proper lyrics: I wonder Lyrics
Album: Blind Melon
All alone in the broadening skies Under the every night I will lie Scratching claw and grip the rails Every day is my living hell
Oh God you know I've tried I know how hard I tried and oh I tried Ooh
Hey I'd like to daze away to a Place like no one has known In a state of mind I could call mine That only I could own
Where I could hum a tune anytime I choose And then there is no such thing as time Where I can feel no pain just calm and sane What a place for one to find
Now you see I'm watching everything I do And they're watching everything I say So they will leave me be Whoa, leave me be Why am I even here?
I wonder You leave me wondering You leave me wondering
Won't you stop watching me I said they're watching me, watching me, watching me
Now in my corner I got the ceiling in my eyes Arms holding up my knees And rocking back and forth my life I didn't mean to feel this way When I walked into the door, Lord
Then they ripped away my memories And I cant remember who I was before. Now they're watching everything I do And they're watching everything I say So they will leave me be Whoa, leave me be
And I only wanted to be 16 And free
And I wonder
my two cents on "I Wonder": Seems like a story about a teenager in a psychiatric facility. He's depressed, but feels victimized by his incarceration, and he can't figure out why he's being punished for thinking and feeling things that simply come naturally to him. He simply tries to keep to himself but the staff are always watching him, examining him for signs that he's either becoming the person that they want him to be, a person that they're molding into their idea of a "sane" person after breaking him down through behavior modification, pschotropic medications and/or electrconvulsive therapy that screws wi/ his self image and recall ability.
All he ever wanted was to be a teenager that was free to deal with his problems in his own way as he grows and develops without being locked away like a rhesus monkey in a research lab.
One of my favorite songs I'm here on my own, if i do not take care of myself , nobody will. I'm the one who's resposible for what I do or do not do. But still everybody like to put their eyes on you, to criticize, they won't leave you alone, they won't leave you be. Though your lonely, you're not alone, and never will be. People use to watch every step you make, they're actually waiting for you to fall, they're waiting so they can laugh. All you want is to be 16 and free, don't care about people and you'll probably get it.
One of my favorite songs I'm here on my own, if i do not take care of myself , nobody will. I'm the one who's resposible for what I do or do not do. But still everybody like to put their eyes on you, to criticize, they won't leave you alone, they won't leave you be. Though your lonely, you're not alone, and never will be. People use to watch every step you make, they're actually waiting for you to fall, they're waiting so they can laugh. All you want is to be 16 and free, don't care about people and you'll probably get it.
One of my favorite songs I'm here on my own, if i do not take care of myself , nobody will. I'm the one who's resposible for what I do or do not do. But still everybody like to put their eyes on you, to criticize, they won't leave you alone, they won't leave you be. Though your lonely, you're not alone, and never will be. People use to watch every step you make, they're actually waiting for you to fall, they're waiting so they can laugh. All you want is to be 16 and free, don't care about people and you'll probably get it.
i read that shannon wrote this song about one of the rehab centers he was in after he got out. it makes sense because he keeps talking about people watching him.
Artists > Blind Melon > I Wonder
needing a simple life in a complex society
All alone the broadening skies Under the every night I will lie Scratching claw and grip the rails Every day my living hell Oh God you know I've tried I know how hard I tried and oh I tried......
goes insane, feels good
Hey I'd like to daze away to a Place like no one has known In a state of mind I could call mine That only I could own Where I could hum a tune anytime I choose, and then there is no such thing as time Where I can feel no pain just calm and sane What a place for one to find
insanity feeling turns bad
Now you see I'm watching everything I do and they're watching everything I say Why wont they leave me be? Why am I even here? I wonder You leave me wondering Won't you stop watching me I said they're watching me, watching me, watching me
committed to institution
Now in my corner I got the ceiling in my eyes Arms holding up my knees And rocking back and forth's my life I didn't mean to feel this way When I walked into the door, Lord Then they ripped away my memories And I cant remember who I was before. And I only wanted to be 16 and free.
I've always liked this song, a lot. But one night, I was with a bunch of friends, and we were all on shrooms, and it seemed like EVERYBODY just started having a really fucked up trip... and I saw them, and didn't want to be there. I wandered off, and the first CD I grabbed, that I had with me, was Blind Melon... and hearing the verse, "Hey, I'd like to dase away to a place no one has known, in a state of mind I could call mine, that only I could own, where I could hum a tune any time I choose, and there's no such thing as time, where I feel no pain, just calm and sane, what a place for one to find..." I swear, it was absolutely PERFECT. Much thanks to that, I'll NEVER be able to listen to this song and hear it the same, again. I love it.