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.
These days, with the world getting colder,
She spends more time sleeping over
Than I planned.
Tonight we're gonna order in,
Drinking wine and watchin' CNN.
It's dark I know, but then again
It's the brightest thing I got
'Cause I'm covered in rain
No, I'm covered in rain, rain, rain, rain
Fireworks to fireplaces
Summer stole what fall replaces
We're people watching, all the people watching, everybody watching me
Standing by the missing signs at the CVS by the checkout line
She puts her quiet hands in mine
'Cause she's the brightest thing I got
When I'm covered in rain
'Cause I'm covered in rain, rain, rain, rain
'Cause I'm covered in rain
No I'm covered in rain
It's alright
If you don't want to, go on
It's alright
If you don't want to, be alone
Oh It's alright
If you don't want to, want to, want to, go home
I understand, I understand, I understand,
You and me and everyone
I'm covered in rain
No, I'm covered in rain
No, I'm covered in rain, rain, rain, rain
I'm covered in, covered in, covered in rain
She spends more time sleeping over
Than I planned.
Tonight we're gonna order in,
Drinking wine and watchin' CNN.
It's dark I know, but then again
It's the brightest thing I got
'Cause I'm covered in rain
No, I'm covered in rain, rain, rain, rain
Fireworks to fireplaces
Summer stole what fall replaces
We're people watching, all the people watching, everybody watching me
Standing by the missing signs at the CVS by the checkout line
She puts her quiet hands in mine
'Cause she's the brightest thing I got
When I'm covered in rain
'Cause I'm covered in rain, rain, rain, rain
'Cause I'm covered in rain
No I'm covered in rain
It's alright
If you don't want to, go on
It's alright
If you don't want to, be alone
Oh It's alright
If you don't want to, want to, want to, go home
I understand, I understand, I understand,
You and me and everyone
I'm covered in rain
No, I'm covered in rain
No, I'm covered in rain, rain, rain, rain
I'm covered in, covered in, covered in rain
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Light Up The Sky
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Fast Car
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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.
When We Were Young
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
I fell in love with song from the first few notes on the Any Given Thursday album and it remains one of my favorite songs. For me, it signifies a relationship that maybe isn't the best. It's not bad, but it's certainly not the stuff made of romance movies. They're living in a darker world and like most people who go through a trauma together, it creates a sort of tension. But they are the 'brightest thing they got' and so they cling to one another.
On the As/Is album, you can actually hear the last lyric much clearer.
"Come December, Lydia lef She mentioned something about it being for the best I can't say I disagree, it's killing me So now I'm standing facing west, tracing my fingers around a silhouette that I haven't gotten used to yet but it's the brightest thing I got."
For me, this lyric is the most haunting. They finally admitted that it wasn't working and he knows it wasn't working, but it is still killing him to let her go. The "silhouette" that he hasn't gotten used to yet feels like he's repeating his past mistakes: he's with another girl that he doesn't quite feel comfortable with yet, but it's the brightest thing he's got and is preferable to being alone.
Close! But JM has explained that this is a part two to the song 'City Love'. It talks about their relationship struggling to survive the depressing time that was NYC post-911. <br /> <br /> "So now I'm standing facing west, <br /> tracing my fingers around a silhouette that I haven't gotten used to yet<br /> but it's the brightest thing I got"<br /> <br /> He means that the NYC skyline is now completely different without the figure of the twin towers.<br /> <br /> Incredible song, and haunting when you know the full meaning.
This song is absolutely amazing and completely beautiful. It's about a relationship trying to survive in a broken world (after effects of 9/11) and a sequal to 'City Love.' It's kind of like a "we're holding up while everything else falls apart" thing. Their love is suriving in a world that is slowly crumbling, where the only stability they have is each other; they find hope in the fact.
But as with any song...it can mean anything to anyone. That's the beauty of it all =]
This song links in to City Love in more ways than one: not only does he mention his relationship with Lydia - "Come December Lydia left...." - he also uses the same chords in the bridge to City Love as the main chords in Covered in Rain. If you listen to both you'll see that they fit. In addition to this the bridge in City Love contains the title of this song - "She called up and came to me covered in rain...".
Great song. Great artist.
These days with the world getting colder She spends more time sleeping over Than I'd planned
Tonight were gonna order in Drinking wine and watching CNN It's dark I know but then again It's the brightest thing I got
When I'm covered in rain, rain When I'm covered in rain, rain
From fireworks to fireplaces Summer stole what fall replaces And now we're people watching All the people, people watching us right now Standing by the missing signs at the CVS by the checkout line She puts her quiet hands in mine Cause shes the brightest thing I got
When I'm covered in rain, rain When I'm covered in rain, rain, rain, rain Oh, I'm covered in rain Oh, I'm covered in rain Oh, I'm covered in rain
Come December, Lydia left She mentioned something about it being for the best And I can't say I disagree It's killing me Now we're standing facing west Tracing my fingers 'round her silhouette I haven't gotten used to it yet But it's the brightest thing I've got
When I'm covered in rain, rain
Those are the correct lyrics for the Any Given Thursday version.
Come December, Lydia left She mentioned something about it being for the best And I can't say I disagree It's killing me Now we're standing facing west Tracing my fingers 'round her silhouette I haven't gotten used to it yet But it's the brightest thing I've got
So I have been thinking about this ending. Probably over analyzing as usual!!! BUT...... It's December, Lydia left...and he knows that the relationship wasn't meant to be. He knows its for the best like she does, but that still doesn't make it any better. It still hurts.
So she is gone and John sings.."now were standing facing west, tracing my fingers round her silhouette.." Is he talking about Lydia? Or who is standing next to him if he says were?
I always kinda went back to the song City Love, and in the final verse there it talked about "from the battery, to the gallery." I had no idea what that meant til i just thought.. hey, maybe they are in Battery Park NYC..looking west, and tracing the towers that aren't there anymore.
I mean you never know, but i could be way off!
I always thought the ending meant.. he's got a new girl now.<br /> <br /> West is where the sun sets - and the sun has set on Lydia.<br /> <br /> He now has his arm around a new girl - tracing her silhouette - but she's new - he hasn't gotten use to her yet.<br /> <br /> But.. like Lydia was.. she's now the best thing he's got.<br /> <br /> Is he going to repeat the same mistakes over again?<br /> <br /> Anyway.. that's how I always read it... I'm likely way off?
A few people have said they expected more out of this song, but I think the complexity and real passion in the song comes from the guitar work. To me that says almost more than the lyrics do. And don't get me wrong, I'm a total lyrics person, but in this song, the guitar speaks more about what the song is about rather than what the lyrics say. They both compliment eachother very well and make for an absolutely incredible song. Listen to the 10 min 25 sec version from the album Any Given Thursday. Amazing.
This is a nice little addendum to City Love. To me, it's about a guy who is with a girl who's not necessarily the best thing for him but he doesn't really care because he likes her. It's about loneliness and how good it can feel to be with someone, even if they're not the "best" for you.
this song reminds me of satisfaction in a relationship. maybe it isn't where he's always gonna be, but for now 'it's the brightest thing' he has. by 'he' i'm referring to john. ;) this is my favorite john mayer song because it reminds me of just being comfortable w/ someone which is something i haven't felt in a while.
Anyone else notice that the last little part is from a Big Head Todd and the Monsters song?
I expected more from the title. I dunno. Don't mind me...just being covered in rain has always held such a deep idea to me and I mean it still does in the song, but I dunno...not the one I expected from him?