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 looking through a hole in the sky
I'm seeing nowhere through the eyes of a lie
I'm getting closer to the end of the line
I'm living easy where the sun doesn't shine
I'm living in a room without any view
I'm living free because the rent's never due
The synonyms of all the things that I've said
Are just the riddles that are built in my head
Hole in the sky, take me to heaven
Window in time, through it I fly
I've seen the stars disappear in the sun
The shooting's easy if you've got the right gun
And even though I'm sitting waiting for Mars
I don't believe there's any future in cause
Hole in the sky, take me to heaven
Window in time, through it I fly
Yeah
I've watched the dogs of war enjoying their feast
I've seen the western world go down in the east
The food of love became the greed of our time
But now I'm living on the profits of pride
I'm seeing nowhere through the eyes of a lie
I'm getting closer to the end of the line
I'm living easy where the sun doesn't shine
I'm living in a room without any view
I'm living free because the rent's never due
The synonyms of all the things that I've said
Are just the riddles that are built in my head
Hole in the sky, take me to heaven
Window in time, through it I fly
I've seen the stars disappear in the sun
The shooting's easy if you've got the right gun
And even though I'm sitting waiting for Mars
I don't believe there's any future in cause
Hole in the sky, take me to heaven
Window in time, through it I fly
Yeah
I've watched the dogs of war enjoying their feast
I've seen the western world go down in the east
The food of love became the greed of our time
But now I'm living on the profits of pride
Lyrics submitted by carlos_avdas, edited by kevink8566, Extremis1
Hole In The Sky Lyrics as written by Tony Iommi Michael Butler
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The song is about waiting to die and knowing that the monotony of everyday life is really a pointless means of existance to an ulitimatly unimportant, end....or so the narrator of the song believes. The quick ending is symbolic of the narrator's life finally coming to an abrupt ending and nothing coming after it as he was alluding to would happen.
The narrator's life may come to an abrupt end, but actually, something does come immediately after it. The instrumental interlude "Don't start (too late)," which leads directly into Symptom of the Universe, which is a song about divine love for mankind.
To me, it's about the afterlife. I mean, if you look at things like Hinduism, they view ascending to the afterlife through a portal, which to me is what the "hole" represents.
Prison or apocalypse seem most likely, it wouldn't exactly be out of character for Sabb to do another apocalypse song.
I like the line about the food...and choking on it.
I got something for you to choke on. Choke, gag, same difference.
I think this song is about watching T.V. and the different things you see on it. Television is being described here as a "hole in the sky that you fly through" or how you seem to fly through it to the parts of the world you are viewing on it. Re-read the lyrics with this in mind and see if it doesn't make more sense. Sitting in a room without any view. Seeing nowhere through the eyes of a lie. Get It ?
i agree that in the first stanza he might be referring to a tv as type of shamanistic hole in the sky
life in prison
This song is obvious... It's the Apocolypse and Ozzy, Geizer and other members of Black Sabbath are in Hell looking at the Hole that certain races and/or countries and/or people are ascending into and in the background the Western World is descending into Hell "I've Seen the Western World go down in the East"
Umm...I think what was meant by that line was that the western world's influence has strongly spread to the east in modern times - 'go down' as in 'happening'
I interpret that line is that he's seen the Western World lose a war(go down) in the east, aka Vietnam.
this song is about people who dont believe in god. "I'm seeing nowhere through the eyes of a lie" that line means to me that someone is seeing life through what appears to be not true- and in someone who doesnt believe in god, that can be true. The person in the song seems to also be old because he says "im getting closer to the end of the line"
Why does this song just suddenly get cut off at the end? Otherwise, AWESOME song
@Bashe for dramatic effect, the hard hitting full throttle maxed out feel and suddenly it's turned off.
I agree with the first post. Life in prison makes alot of sense with this song. (I'm living free because the rent's never due) The Hole could be a T.V that he's watching. (Seen the western world go down in the east) He's just kinda sitting there watching T.v or looking out of the "hole" Cause there's not much else to do. Ozzy Himself was in Prison for 8 Weeks for stealing Womens clothing to sell at a bar. Ozzy himself was so bored in prison it was where he gave himself his famous "Ozzy" tattoo.
your all wrong its about mans destruction on there enviorment and how we made a hole in the ozone layer and how the world is eventually going to fall to shit
It may be, but the hole in the ozone layer was discovered years after this song was recorded.