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.
Oh you know how it is
Wake up feeling blue
And everything that could be wrong is
Including you
Black clouds and rain and pain in your head
And all you want to do is stay in bed
But if you do that you'll be missing the world
Because it doesn't stop turning whatever you heard
If you do that you'll be missing the world
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah you know how it is
Wake up feeling green
Sick as a dog and six times as mean
You don't want to sing you don't want to play
You don't want to swing you don't want to sway
All you want to do is nothing
On a day like today
But if you do that you'll be missing the world
Because it doesn't stop turning whatever you heard
If you do that you'll be missing the world
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah get up get out and have some fun
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah get up get out and get it on (on, on, on)
Get up get out and get gone (gone, gone)
You have to get up get out and get living
Yeah this is really it
So you know how it is
Wake up feeling gray
Nothing much to think and nothing much to say
Don't want to talk don't want to try
Don't want to think don't want to know
Who what where when or why
Oh but you do that and you're missing the world
Yeah it's happening right now whatever you heard
You do that and you're missing the world
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah get up get out and have some fun
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah get up get out and get it on (on, on, on)
Get up get out and get gone
You have to get up get out and get living
Yeah this is really it
Wake up feeling blue
And everything that could be wrong is
Including you
Black clouds and rain and pain in your head
And all you want to do is stay in bed
But if you do that you'll be missing the world
Because it doesn't stop turning whatever you heard
If you do that you'll be missing the world
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah you know how it is
Wake up feeling green
Sick as a dog and six times as mean
You don't want to sing you don't want to play
You don't want to swing you don't want to sway
All you want to do is nothing
On a day like today
But if you do that you'll be missing the world
Because it doesn't stop turning whatever you heard
If you do that you'll be missing the world
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah get up get out and have some fun
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah get up get out and get it on (on, on, on)
Get up get out and get gone (gone, gone)
You have to get up get out and get living
Yeah this is really it
So you know how it is
Wake up feeling gray
Nothing much to think and nothing much to say
Don't want to talk don't want to try
Don't want to think don't want to know
Who what where when or why
Oh but you do that and you're missing the world
Yeah it's happening right now whatever you heard
You do that and you're missing the world
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah get up get out and have some fun
You have to get up get out and get gone
Yeah get up get out and get it on (on, on, on)
Get up get out and get gone
You have to get up get out and get living
Yeah this is really it
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Page
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I completely agree with ming ming. Whenever I want to wallow in self-pity and think that nothing will ever get better, I put on "Gone!" and it's instant motivation. Robert's saying that things will never improve unless you do it yourself, and that's damn right.