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 rated "R"...this is a warning, ya better void
Poets are paranoid, DJ's destroyed
'Cause I came back to attack others in spite
Strike like lightnin', it's quite frightenin'
But don't be afraid in the dark, in a park
Not a scream or a cry, or a bark, more like a spark
Tremble like a alcoholic, muscles tighten up
What's that, lighten up, you see a sight but
Suddenly you feel like you're in a horror flick
You grab your heart then wish for tomorrow quick
Music's the clue, when I come your warned
Apocolypse Now, when I'm done, ya gone
Haven't you ever heard of a MC-murderer?
This is the death penalty,and I'm servin' a
Death wish, so come on, step to this
Hysterical idea for a lyrical professionist
Friday the thirteenth, walking down Elm Street
You come in my realm ya get beat
This is off limits, so your visions are blurry
All ya see is the meters at a volume
Pumping lyrics of fury
Terror in the styles, never error-files
Indeed I'm known-your exiled!
For those that oppose to be level or next to this
I ain't a devil and this ain't the exorcist
Worse than a nightmare, you don't have to sleep a wink
The pain's a migraine every time ya think
Flashbacks interfere, ya start to hear
The R-A-K-I-M in your ear
Then the beat is hysterical
That makes Eric go get a ax and chops the wack
Soon the lyrical format is superior
Faces of death remain
MC's decaying, 'cause they never stayed
The scene of a crime every night at the show
The fiend of a rhyme on the mic that you know
It's only one capable, breaks-the unbreakable
Melodies-unmakable, pattern-unecscapable
A horn if want the style I posses
I bless the child, the earth, the gods and bomb the rest
For those that envy a MC it can be
Hazardous to your health so be friendly
A matter of life and death, just like a etch-a-sketch
Shake 'till your clear, make it disappear, make the next
After the ceremony, let the rhyme rest in peace
If not, my soul'll release
The scene is recreated, reincarnated, updated, I'm glad you made it
'Cause you're about to see a disasterous sight
A performance never again performed on a mic
Lyrics of fury
Poets are paranoid, DJ's destroyed
'Cause I came back to attack others in spite
Strike like lightnin', it's quite frightenin'
But don't be afraid in the dark, in a park
Not a scream or a cry, or a bark, more like a spark
Tremble like a alcoholic, muscles tighten up
What's that, lighten up, you see a sight but
Suddenly you feel like you're in a horror flick
You grab your heart then wish for tomorrow quick
Music's the clue, when I come your warned
Apocolypse Now, when I'm done, ya gone
Haven't you ever heard of a MC-murderer?
This is the death penalty,and I'm servin' a
Death wish, so come on, step to this
Hysterical idea for a lyrical professionist
Friday the thirteenth, walking down Elm Street
You come in my realm ya get beat
This is off limits, so your visions are blurry
All ya see is the meters at a volume
Pumping lyrics of fury
Terror in the styles, never error-files
Indeed I'm known-your exiled!
For those that oppose to be level or next to this
I ain't a devil and this ain't the exorcist
Worse than a nightmare, you don't have to sleep a wink
The pain's a migraine every time ya think
Flashbacks interfere, ya start to hear
The R-A-K-I-M in your ear
Then the beat is hysterical
That makes Eric go get a ax and chops the wack
Soon the lyrical format is superior
Faces of death remain
MC's decaying, 'cause they never stayed
The scene of a crime every night at the show
The fiend of a rhyme on the mic that you know
It's only one capable, breaks-the unbreakable
Melodies-unmakable, pattern-unecscapable
A horn if want the style I posses
I bless the child, the earth, the gods and bomb the rest
For those that envy a MC it can be
Hazardous to your health so be friendly
A matter of life and death, just like a etch-a-sketch
Shake 'till your clear, make it disappear, make the next
After the ceremony, let the rhyme rest in peace
If not, my soul'll release
The scene is recreated, reincarnated, updated, I'm glad you made it
'Cause you're about to see a disasterous sight
A performance never again performed on a mic
Lyrics of fury
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.