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.
There's trouble on the streets tonight
I can feel it in my bones
I had a premonition
That he should not go alone
I knew the gun was loaded
But I didn't think he'd kill
Everything exploded
And the blood began to spill
So baby, here's your ticket
Put the suitcase in your hand
Here's a little money now
Do it just the way we planned
You be cool for twenty hours
And I'll pay you twenty grand
I'm sorry it went down like this
And someone had to lose
It's the nature of the business
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's Blues
The sailors and pilots
The soldiers and the law
The pay offs and the rip offs
And the things nobody saw
No matter if it's heroin, cocaine, or hash
You've got to carry weapons
'Cause you always carry cash
There's lots of shady characters
Lots of dirty deals
Every name's an alias
In case somebody squeals
It's the lure of easy money
It's got a very strong appeal
Perhaps you'd understand it better
Standin' in my shoes
It's the ultimate enticement
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues
Oh
See it in the headlines
You hear it ev'ry day
They say they're gonna stop it
But it doesn't go away
They move it through Miami, sell it in L.A.
They hide it up in Telluride
I mean it's here to stay
It's propping up the governments in Columbia and Peru
You ask any D.E.A. man
He'll say "there's nothin' we can do"
From the office of the President
Right down to me and you, me and you
It's a losing proposition
But one you can't refuse
It's the politics of contraband
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues
Hmm, hmm
Woah, oh
Woah, oh
Ya
I can feel it in my bones
I had a premonition
That he should not go alone
I knew the gun was loaded
But I didn't think he'd kill
Everything exploded
And the blood began to spill
So baby, here's your ticket
Put the suitcase in your hand
Here's a little money now
Do it just the way we planned
You be cool for twenty hours
And I'll pay you twenty grand
I'm sorry it went down like this
And someone had to lose
It's the nature of the business
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's Blues
The sailors and pilots
The soldiers and the law
The pay offs and the rip offs
And the things nobody saw
No matter if it's heroin, cocaine, or hash
You've got to carry weapons
'Cause you always carry cash
There's lots of shady characters
Lots of dirty deals
Every name's an alias
In case somebody squeals
It's the lure of easy money
It's got a very strong appeal
Perhaps you'd understand it better
Standin' in my shoes
It's the ultimate enticement
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues
Oh
See it in the headlines
You hear it ev'ry day
They say they're gonna stop it
But it doesn't go away
They move it through Miami, sell it in L.A.
They hide it up in Telluride
I mean it's here to stay
It's propping up the governments in Columbia and Peru
You ask any D.E.A. man
He'll say "there's nothin' we can do"
From the office of the President
Right down to me and you, me and you
It's a losing proposition
But one you can't refuse
It's the politics of contraband
It's the smuggler's blues
Smuggler's blues
Hmm, hmm
Woah, oh
Woah, oh
Ya
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
Smuggler's Blues Lyrics as written by Jack Tempchin Glenn Lewis Frey
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
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@[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.
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“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.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
The imagery in this song is fantastic. I don't know if you need to spell "realities" in all-caps though. What are you trying to imply, that people are singing lies about drug use in America? The song isn't even -about- drug use; it's about -smuggling-, and even then celebrities aren't always the best source for reliable information. It's more accurate to say that it is a great, gritty and edgy song about smuggling and the underworld, befitting of the 80s Miami Vice crime-drama show whose soundtrack it was released upon. As far as reality, it may or may not be an accurate reflection of what's going on today or twenty years ago, but one usually leaves "reality" far behind when one turns on the television.
this is a great song about the REALITIES of drug use in America
Really, it's less about the realities of drug use, than it is about the realities of the War on Drugs. There's so much money to be made in the smuggling trade that trying to suppress it is like trying to bail out the ocean, and yet it's a kind of futility that is politically impossible to abandon.
Reminds me of the 80's, Miami Vice, and me and my twin brother watching Miami Vice in Bath (the town in England).
The war again drugs is a bizarre war-- the DEA etc never seem to be winning it-- the dope keeps coming-- and US policy has been ambiguous, with at times the CIA supporting the illegal drug growing/marketing business as a prop against communism (in France, Italy, Turkey after WW2, in SE Asia) or in Afghanistan now as a prop against religious extremists. Yet billionaire dope dealers are not really winning either as they live at risk of being shot down or imprisoned for life. I think the video stresses this--the flow of dope has a life of it's own that contin-ues despite the fall of the human players. The modern white dope "octopus" is much the creation of exiled mobster Lucky Luciano and the CIA, who gave it a life beyond them, and structured it so that when one player falls,another imme-diately takes his place. Luciano convinced mobsters that the money from white dope would tower over all the other rackets combined; true, but no-one, including Luciano ever seems to win at the game long term. "Its a losing proposition, but one you can't refuse, it's the nature of the business". Luciano and the CIA created and put into motion a monster that has turned on our own country and Italy even more so. And no one seems to know how to stop it.