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.
Look into my eyes
You will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart
Search your soul
And when you find me there
You'll search no more
Don't tell me
It's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me
It's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true
Everything I do
I do it for you
Look into your heart
You will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am
Take my life
I would give it all
I would sacrifice
Don't tell me
It's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it
There's nothin' I want more
You know it's true
Everything I do
I do it for you, oh yeah
There's no love
Like your love
And no other
Could give more love
There's nowhere
Unless you're there
All the time
All the way, yeah
Look into your heart, babe
Yeah
Oh yeah
Oh, you can't tell me
It's not worth tryin' for
I can't help it
There's nothin' I want more
Yeah, I would fight for you
I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you
Yeah, I'd die for you
You know it's true
Everything I do
Oh
I do it for you
Everything I do, darling
And we'll see it through
Oh, we'll see it through
Oh yeah
Yeah
Search your heart
Search your soul
You can't tell me it ain't worth dying for
Oh yeah
I'll be there, yeah, oh
I'll walk the wire for you, yeah
I will die for you
Oh yeah
All the time
I'm going all the way, all the way, yeah
Take me by the hand, oh
Ow
You will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart
Search your soul
And when you find me there
You'll search no more
Don't tell me
It's not worth tryin' for
You can't tell me
It's not worth dyin' for
You know it's true
Everything I do
I do it for you
Look into your heart
You will find
There's nothin' there to hide
Take me as I am
Take my life
I would give it all
I would sacrifice
Don't tell me
It's not worth fightin' for
I can't help it
There's nothin' I want more
You know it's true
Everything I do
I do it for you, oh yeah
There's no love
Like your love
And no other
Could give more love
There's nowhere
Unless you're there
All the time
All the way, yeah
Look into your heart, babe
Yeah
Oh yeah
Oh, you can't tell me
It's not worth tryin' for
I can't help it
There's nothin' I want more
Yeah, I would fight for you
I'd lie for you
Walk the wire for you
Yeah, I'd die for you
You know it's true
Everything I do
Oh
I do it for you
Everything I do, darling
And we'll see it through
Oh, we'll see it through
Oh yeah
Yeah
Search your heart
Search your soul
You can't tell me it ain't worth dying for
Oh yeah
I'll be there, yeah, oh
I'll walk the wire for you, yeah
I will die for you
Oh yeah
All the time
I'm going all the way, all the way, yeah
Take me by the hand, oh
Ow
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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Tracy Chapman
"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.
Gentle Hour
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Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Plastic Bag
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Ed Sheeran
“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.
this song just reminds me of Robin Hood.
Same here, but more importantly the love between marion and robin for the simple reason that the very movie it was used in, is also the best Robin Hood movie of all times