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.
Take a listen through the window
Take a lover on the radio
Ask her if she's got an answer
Do you know
Time enough to get a good one
Though they never seem to get done
I am standing for a reason
Do you know
[Chorus]
'Cause I don't know how
And I don't know where
We are we are
And I don't know why
I don't know if
We are we are
Seven days and not a return
Seven lives and not a thing learned
Take a lover on the highway
Do you know?
'Cause I am sleeping on a time bomb
And I am waiting for the light to come
You and I could get away now
Do you know
[Chorus]
I get up sometimes
Like somebody else
Am I just wasting time
For somebody else
Take a listen through the window
Another lover on the radio
Ask her if she's got an answer
Do you know?
[Chorus]
Take a lover on the radio
Ask her if she's got an answer
Do you know
Time enough to get a good one
Though they never seem to get done
I am standing for a reason
Do you know
[Chorus]
'Cause I don't know how
And I don't know where
We are we are
And I don't know why
I don't know if
We are we are
Seven days and not a return
Seven lives and not a thing learned
Take a lover on the highway
Do you know?
'Cause I am sleeping on a time bomb
And I am waiting for the light to come
You and I could get away now
Do you know
[Chorus]
I get up sometimes
Like somebody else
Am I just wasting time
For somebody else
Take a listen through the window
Another lover on the radio
Ask her if she's got an answer
Do you know?
[Chorus]
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
this song will always remind me of being in halls during a freezing cold halloween in my first semester of uni!!
well ever since i hung out with my christian friend this band to me has been about chritianity i don't know if they are a christian band or not but this song to me is about people trying to suck you into differant relgions and you don't know where you are and you don't know why... and it also reminds me of jesus and the apostles how he was just hoping for them to come forward and help him but they didn't and they where sayin and asking i don't know how and i don't know where we are... to me this is a verry sad song dispite how hard it might be
Vh is definitely not a Christian band. They've even said they aren't on multiple occasions. That being said, their songs are frequently vague enough that multiple interpretations are possible, and some of their songs can be seen as religious. Probably weren't written as such, but VH encourages fans to find their own meaning in a song, which might not match theirs.
This song seems to be communicating a sense of confusion, of not knowing where to go or what's coming next. It might be in a relationship, or in life in general.
I think this song is about the meaninglessness of life in general and the feeling "Why do anything? What's the point?" Nihilism, in essence. It's a bit of a bleak concept, but it's the only meaning I can really find in this song.
It's about existence, and there being no clear reason why we're here.
"Vh is definitely not a Christian band. They've even said they aren't on multiple occasions. That being said, their songs are frequently vague enough that multiple interpretations are possible, and some of their songs can be seen as religious."
Someone once swore blind to me that VH were Christian, having only heard the chorus of Everything You Want XD
Things going poorly in Matthew's relationship. That line "seven days and not a return" gives it away if it wasn't already obvious. She don't text, she don't Skype...she is just not that into him.
Maybe the coolest thing about the lyrics is the lovers on the radio. I'm pretty sure this is similar to, like me `falling in love' with Beth Orton (when I hear Roll the Dice you betta believe it).