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.
Fog's rollin' in off the East River bank
Like a shroud it covers Bleecker Street
Fills the alleys where men sleep
Hides the shepherd from the sheep
Voices leaking from a sad cafe
Smiling faces try to understand
I saw a shadow touch a shadow's hand
On Bleecker Street
The poet reads his crooked rhyme
Holy, holy is his sacrament
Thirty dollars pays your rent
On Bleecker Street
I head a church bell softly chime
In a melody sustainin'
It's a long road to Canaan
On Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street
Like a shroud it covers Bleecker Street
Fills the alleys where men sleep
Hides the shepherd from the sheep
Voices leaking from a sad cafe
Smiling faces try to understand
I saw a shadow touch a shadow's hand
On Bleecker Street
The poet reads his crooked rhyme
Holy, holy is his sacrament
Thirty dollars pays your rent
On Bleecker Street
I head a church bell softly chime
In a melody sustainin'
It's a long road to Canaan
On Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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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."
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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.
Bleecker Street runs through the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. It is sort of the east coast equivalent of Haight Street in San Francisco, a place where countercultural (hippy, beatnik, etc.)stuff tends to happen.
The poet reading his crooked rhyme seems to be based on Allen Ginsberg, since his "Footnote to Howl" repeats the word "holy" quite a few times.
The thirty dollar rent is a definite clue that this is not a new song! Thirty dollars won't even get you a day's rent in New York City these days!
Es fantàstic. M'agrada la sorna del Holly Holly de la gent de Bleeker Street, el núvol, els versos torts, el tractar-los de Judes i el comentari de que son molt lluny del tipus de festa de Canaa. Fantàstics Simon and Garfunkel
Yeah, great song, harmonising at its best but has anyone noticed that the idiot who posted these lyrics spelt Bleecker Street wrong? Its on the CD case for poo's sake.
@Ed Clarke with all respect, the word spelt is not used like this. I think you meant spelled. Also, your 4th word is spelled harmonizing. :)
NO comments?! Not ONE? Goodbye cruel world, it's over.
Lots of obscuring going on here…"voices leaking," shadows touching shadows, the shepherd losing his flock…and lots of religious imagery…Canaan takes on meaning as "the land which is God's gift" and "the place of abundance"…I guess S&G don't see humanity reaching enlightenment any time soon.
Obviously a nostalgic ode to New York's Greenwhich Village, which is home to Bleeker Street. This was the artsiest ("a poet reads crooked rhymes") and grimiest neighborhood of the City in their time, probably related to its being the most affordable. "$30 pays your rent."
i've read an art garfunkel quote saying that the "thirty dollars pays your rent" is actually a reference to the bible- though i don't recall exactly how. i think there are several throughout the song- road to caanan, the shepards from the sheep. i'd give the link, but i don't remember what the website was...
beautiful song, though.
@howtobegood <br /> Seriously!? Thirty pieces of silver!!! <br />
@howtobegood 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas for his betrayal of Christ is my guess.
nice song, bleecker Street is now a street that is what the whole city is about.
Thirty dollars pays your rent is a reference to Jesus being sold for pieces of silver. At least that's what Artie says! I obviously read the same quote as you, howtobegood! I shiver every time I hear "shadows touch a shadows hand" bit. Beautifully sung, beautifully written, and a gorgeous underrated song.
Note: In the gospels it mentions for 30 peices of silver Judas turned Jesus over to the athorities. Shadow or shade was used in medieval times for a soul or spirit. Canaan is an ancient country in what is now Israel/Palestine including the West Bank, western Jordan, southern and coastal Syria and Lebanon continuing up until the border of modern Turkey; and has several biblical meanings. From the back of the original 33 liner notes by Art Garfunkel:
quote "I confess that Bleecker Street (finished in October 1963), was too much for me at first. The song is highly intellectual, the symbolism extremely challenging. The opening line in which the fog comes like a "shroud" over the city introduces the theme of "creative sterility." But it is the second verse which I find particularly significant: Voices leaking from a sad cafe, Smiling faces try to undersand; I saw a shadow touch a shadow's hand On Bleecker street.
The first line is a purely poetic image. The second line touches poignantly on the human conditions of our time. To me, it shows the same perceptive psychological characterization as Sparrow - the "golden wheat" ("I would if I could but I cannot, I know"). The third line marks the first appearance of a theme that is to occupy great attention in later work- "lack of communication." The author says that the poets have "sold out" ("the poet writes his crooked rhyme"). The line "Thirt dollars pays your rent" reminds one of Judas Iscariot's betrayal of Christ for thirty pieces of silver. Admittedly, the song is difficult to understand, but worth the effort." end quote
wish I could get a room on Bleeker Street for thirty dollars!
beautiful song, clearly some biblical references and symbolism. it seems to me that the shroud covering the streets is something unpure or unholy. as it hides the sheperd from his sheep. maybe it's hiding god(the sheperd) from his people(the sheep)?