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.
True love is a rose behind glass
That's locked and kept closed
Maybe just to me
'Cause my heart's been attacked
And shattered by tough love bad love
So I bought mine off the street
True love, man, it just can't be beat
I felt so complete
Married to heavenly bodies above
And each night I'd look up
At a bright honey moon
'Cause it sure seemed built to last
And even after my honeymoon passed
I kept right with it, man
Like a ghost to a house it once haunted
And day after day
I'd steal with my true love away
To some hideout we're left undisturbed
We could do what we wanted
But I started to feel like a liar
Saying I love you
She was madly in love or mad mean
There was no in between it raised my alarm
I found I can't make a stand
I'm her hired hand i have to do harm
One day I got sick
She played me a nasty old trick
Said, "I need cigarettes"
Walked 'round the block caught a cab
Stayed gone for too long
My love had gotten so strong
Just to try being back on my own
I had to go to rehab
All I need is a safe place to bleed
Is this where it's at? Half of no chance
Steps in a dance
Rest of my life spent in combat
Now I'm the king of the ward
'Cause I'm good and I swallow my sword
And puke it out for the doctor
To write me a new prescription
Tranquil as a dove
People that have lost their true love
They all seem to fit the same description
I feel cold, useless and old
I wish I was no one
Take me up, my Lord take me up today
Take me out of this place
Take me up with you today
That's locked and kept closed
Maybe just to me
'Cause my heart's been attacked
And shattered by tough love bad love
So I bought mine off the street
True love, man, it just can't be beat
I felt so complete
Married to heavenly bodies above
And each night I'd look up
At a bright honey moon
'Cause it sure seemed built to last
And even after my honeymoon passed
I kept right with it, man
Like a ghost to a house it once haunted
And day after day
I'd steal with my true love away
To some hideout we're left undisturbed
We could do what we wanted
But I started to feel like a liar
Saying I love you
She was madly in love or mad mean
There was no in between it raised my alarm
I found I can't make a stand
I'm her hired hand i have to do harm
One day I got sick
She played me a nasty old trick
Said, "I need cigarettes"
Walked 'round the block caught a cab
Stayed gone for too long
My love had gotten so strong
Just to try being back on my own
I had to go to rehab
All I need is a safe place to bleed
Is this where it's at? Half of no chance
Steps in a dance
Rest of my life spent in combat
Now I'm the king of the ward
'Cause I'm good and I swallow my sword
And puke it out for the doctor
To write me a new prescription
Tranquil as a dove
People that have lost their true love
They all seem to fit the same description
I feel cold, useless and old
I wish I was no one
Take me up, my Lord take me up today
Take me out of this place
Take me up with you today
Lyrics submitted by dragonflower44, edited by lisasays85
True Love Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © CONEXION MEDIA GROUP, INC.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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aflatearth 03-02-2009
Rated 0 I'm surprised nobody else came up with this, but the opening line could be a reference to those little glass tubes with fake roses in them that are sold in convenience stores and used as crack pipes. Not that thats necessarily what he intended, it just makes me think of those, and it kinda fits.
Also Elliott Smith was a fan of Neil Young, who has a song called "Love is a Rose".
Okay I agree with you completely on this. I've actually heard something in another song, I can't remember which..maybe it was an alternate version of something. Oh yes, it was "No More" which has also been called "Either/Or No More". He says something about a plastic rose in that. There are various references to the plastic roses in certain songs (can't think of them all right now). But yes, I remember somebody in my family educating me on what those roses were for in the first place. This is a very real possibility.
But as I said above, it could have any number of meanings.
Years after the fact, but yay!<br /> <br /> I wondered if anyone would catch the rose-in-glass-tube thing...<br /> <br /> P.S. You are lovely.