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.
Speed kills
Coming down the mountain
Speed kills
Coming down the street
Speed kills
With the presence of mind and
Speed kills
If you know what I mean
Got to feel
Woke up inside again
Got to feel
Less broke more fixed
Got to feel
When I got outside myself
Got to feel
When I touched your lips
The things we do
To the people that we love
The way we break
If there's something we can't take
Destroy the world
That we took so long to make
We expect her gone
For some time
I wish her safe from harm
To find yourself
In a foreign land
Another refugee
Outsider refugee
How's it feel
Coming up roses
How's it feel
She's coming up sweet
How's it feel
When it's all in spite of you
How's it feel
When she's out of your reach
The things we do
To the people that we love
The way we break
If there's something in the way
Destroy the world
That we took so long to make
We expect her gone
For some time
I wish her safe from harm
To find yourself
In a foreign land
Another refugee
Outsider refugee
What happened to you? (x4)
The things we do
To the people that we love
The way we break
If there's something we can't take
Destroy the world
That we took so long to make
The things we do
To the people that we love (x3)
The things we do
To the people that we
That we love
Coming down the mountain
Speed kills
Coming down the street
Speed kills
With the presence of mind and
Speed kills
If you know what I mean
Got to feel
Woke up inside again
Got to feel
Less broke more fixed
Got to feel
When I got outside myself
Got to feel
When I touched your lips
The things we do
To the people that we love
The way we break
If there's something we can't take
Destroy the world
That we took so long to make
We expect her gone
For some time
I wish her safe from harm
To find yourself
In a foreign land
Another refugee
Outsider refugee
How's it feel
Coming up roses
How's it feel
She's coming up sweet
How's it feel
When it's all in spite of you
How's it feel
When she's out of your reach
The things we do
To the people that we love
The way we break
If there's something in the way
Destroy the world
That we took so long to make
We expect her gone
For some time
I wish her safe from harm
To find yourself
In a foreign land
Another refugee
Outsider refugee
What happened to you? (x4)
The things we do
To the people that we love
The way we break
If there's something we can't take
Destroy the world
That we took so long to make
The things we do
To the people that we love (x3)
The things we do
To the people that we
That we love
Lyrics submitted by joeytucciarone
The People That We Love Lyrics as written by Gavin Rossdale
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Here's my interpretation. Speed kills. Lead singer Gavin Rossdale noted that the title has "nothing to do with war and nothing to do with aggression -- it was the speed of thought."
I feel that this song is about a guy who was in a relationship where he emotionally abused his girlfriend. When he met her he felt "less broke more fixed". He was happy, she was happy, and together they spent a long time building up their relationship.
Later in the relationship, when something that he couldn't emotionally handle came up (perhaps his insecurities about her ex) his speed of thought was rapid, constantly and angrily jumping to conclusions like that she was cheating on him when in fact she had not. Despite her pleas for him to trust her and to see reason, his rage took hold, fueled by the abuse and subsequent trauma that he had endured and developed as a child. As a result, his girlfriend began to resent him and became angry and emotionally unavailable. Ultimately this lead to the destruction of the whole relationship, the "world" that together they had spent "so long to make."
After the breakup, he sees her doing well, thriving without him. He feels a mixture of betrayal and guilt, thinking that this is all in spite of him. He also is deeply saddened because he knows that she is out of his reach, as he has vowed to never contact her again to avoid hurting her even more in the future.
Eventually he comes to terms with their separation and wishes her well and safe from harm, like the kind he inflicted upon her.
She was his world. His sole source of social support. He now feels like a refugee, an outsider. As if his whole world has been torn apart now that she is no longer part of his life. He had spent his whole life thinking that he would find a significant other and be happy, not expecting to abuse her in the same way he was abused as a child. He now realizes that he cannot allow himself to develop feelings for another person again, not until he is sure he will never act the way he did with his first love. This compounds his suffering and feelings of guilt and insecurity.
Near the songs end, he laments on how poorly he had treated her, and others he had loved in his past, like his family, who he ended up hurting:
The things we do to the people that we love, the way we break if there's something in the way, destroy the world that we took so long to make.
The song ends on a solemn note. Quietly, with the words "that we love".