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.
Uncle salty told me stories of a lonely
Baby with a lonely kind of life to lead
My mammy was lusted, daddy he was busted
They left her to be trusted till the orphan bleeds
But when she cried at night, no one came
And when she cried at night, went insane
Uncle salty told me when she was just a baby
That she'd get by and maybe someday she'd see
But soon she found her mother's love for all the others
The pushers and the shovers was the life to lead
But when she cried at night, no one came
And when she cried at night, went insane
Oh, it's a sunny day outside my window
Oh, it's a sunny day outside my window
Oh, oh yeah
Oh, oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Now she's doin' any for money and a penny
A sailor with a penny or two or three
Hers is the cunning for men who come a-runnin'
They all come for fun and it seems to me
That when she cried at night, no one came
And when she cried at night, went insane
(Oh, it's a sunny day outside my window)
Baby with a lonely kind of life to lead
My mammy was lusted, daddy he was busted
They left her to be trusted till the orphan bleeds
But when she cried at night, no one came
And when she cried at night, went insane
Uncle salty told me when she was just a baby
That she'd get by and maybe someday she'd see
But soon she found her mother's love for all the others
The pushers and the shovers was the life to lead
But when she cried at night, no one came
And when she cried at night, went insane
Oh, it's a sunny day outside my window
Oh, it's a sunny day outside my window
Oh, oh yeah
Oh, oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Now she's doin' any for money and a penny
A sailor with a penny or two or three
Hers is the cunning for men who come a-runnin'
They all come for fun and it seems to me
That when she cried at night, no one came
And when she cried at night, went insane
(Oh, it's a sunny day outside my window)
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
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
Trusted till the orphan bleeds? I don't get that...
Her mom was a prostitute, her dad a criminal, probably a drug dealer; she left and he went to jail. Uncle Salty is her brother, I think, and raises her. He thinks she won't take after her mom but then... "Soon she found her mother's love for all the others"
Cunning = c*nt? U know its probably right.
"It's a sunny day outside my window"- maybe Uncle Salty is taking a break from his dark story to acknowledge a beautiful day. Or maybe he's trying to say she had a son. Maybe one of the members of Areosmith's mom was a hooker!
@Shep420 Uncle was her tutor until she started menstruating (until she bleeds) and that's when more or less girls come of age