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've been forewarned of the skake-shakedown.
Opinions stamped on the pulp of the tabloid newsstand gossip that stacks at your door.
You swallowed the last of free MA.
Car starts, four windows lowered away.
Last views of cityscapes crumbling.
Skyscrapers sink into the ground.
All static, no noise, turn the radio down.
Those bandwidth signals can't reach that far.
Don't go holding out on me now.
Don't go holding.
I thought that you had come to expect
I thought that you had come to expect more
I thought that you had come to expect
I thought that you had come to expect more
You've been forewarned of the skake-shakedown.
Opinions stamped on the pulp of the tabloid newsstand gossip that stacks at your door.
Don't go holding out on me now
Don't go holding out on me now
Don't go holding out on me now
Don't go holding
Opinions stamped on the pulp of the tabloid newsstand gossip that stacks at your door.
You swallowed the last of free MA.
Car starts, four windows lowered away.
Last views of cityscapes crumbling.
Skyscrapers sink into the ground.
All static, no noise, turn the radio down.
Those bandwidth signals can't reach that far.
Don't go holding out on me now.
Don't go holding.
I thought that you had come to expect
I thought that you had come to expect more
I thought that you had come to expect
I thought that you had come to expect more
You've been forewarned of the skake-shakedown.
Opinions stamped on the pulp of the tabloid newsstand gossip that stacks at your door.
Don't go holding out on me now
Don't go holding out on me now
Don't go holding out on me now
Don't go holding
Lyrics submitted by weezerific:cutlery
Lowell, MA Lyrics as written by Christopher Walla Benjamin Gibbard
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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lowell, ma, hometown of me.
yea this song is great.. it really speaks of the city, because you drive 5 seconds from dracut, the town right next door.. and it is all suburban and farmy, right into the "cityscapes". and its sad, because it is a town with so much history, but it is crumbling into nothing.
I think it's about him leaving Lowell, which he describes as being old and crumbling (because Lowell is full of old building dating back to the Industrial Revolution). Driving away as he leaves, the skyscrapers disappear into the horizon, the radio stations are turning to static, and he's leaving Lowell behind.
Agreeing with a previous comment, this song really does describe the song well. Lowell seems so out of place in norther MA. It's so rich in culture and so urban when the surrounding towns are, well, country cow towns such as dracut with absolutly nothing to do (speaking from experience.)
my friend loves dcfc and got me into them...and she told me about this song [because i'm from lowell]
i think he's talking about lowell changing...because maybe ten years ago lowell was in pretty bad shape, there were a lot of gangs and drugs in the city [if you remember that documentary called "high on crack st"] and it seems that when he wrote this song that lowell was pretty shitty...the "cityscapes crumbling" and everything
now it's a lot better, downtown is booming with new business'...but i hate how lowell has such a bad rep...it's a lot safer than it used to be...
his favorite book is On The Road by Jack Kerouac, i read it in an interview
I was just thinking the other day, what if the line "You swallowed the last of free MA" is referring to methamphetamines, rather than Massachusetts? However, I'm not sure if meth can be taken orally ("swallowed"). I think it works out with the other lyrics (esp. "don't you go holding out on me now").
Oh man, I think this is my fave song on this album. I love it. And, oh man, the lyrics. What can I say? Death Cab is the BES*T
this song is so beautiful, one of the best on the album. definitely.
<b>nothing but love for dcfc</n>
best death cab song out there... "don't go holding, out on me now... i thought that you had come to expect more..." says it all right there.
this is definitely one of my favorite dcfc songs, it flows so good, and the music is beautiful
lowell, MA, hometown of Jack Kerouac