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.
It seems like yesterday
But it was long ago
Janey was lovely she was the queen of my nights
There in the darkness with the radio playing low, and
And the secrets that we shared
The mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
'Til there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove
And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh-so-tight
Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then
Against the wind
We were runnin' against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin' against the wind
The years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home, and I
Guess I lost my way
There were oh-so-many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searching
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind
Well those drifter's days are past me now
I've got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out
Against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind
Well I'm older now and still runnin'
Against the wind
Against the wind
Against the wind
Still runnin' (against the wind)
I'm still runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) I'm still runnin'
(Against the wind)
I'm still runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) still runnin'
(Against the wind)runnin' against the wind, runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) see the young man run
(Against the wind) watch the young man run
(Against the wind) watch the young man runnin'
(Against the wind) he'll be runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) let the cowboys ride
(Against the wind) aah
(Against the wind) let the cowboys ride
(Against the wind) they'll be ridin' against the wind
(Against the wind) against the wind
(Against the wind) ridin' against the wind
But it was long ago
Janey was lovely she was the queen of my nights
There in the darkness with the radio playing low, and
And the secrets that we shared
The mountains that we moved
Caught like a wildfire out of control
'Til there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove
And I remember what she said to me
How she swore that it never would end
I remember how she held me oh-so-tight
Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then
Against the wind
We were runnin' against the wind
We were young and strong, we were runnin' against the wind
The years rolled slowly past
And I found myself alone
Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends
I found myself further and further from my home, and I
Guess I lost my way
There were oh-so-many roads
I was living to run and running to live
Never worried about paying or even how much I owed
Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time
Breaking all of the rules that would bend
I began to find myself searching
Searching for shelter again and again
Against the wind
A little something against the wind
I found myself seeking shelter against the wind
Well those drifter's days are past me now
I've got so much more to think about
Deadlines and commitments
What to leave in, what to leave out
Against the wind
I'm still runnin' against the wind
I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind
Well I'm older now and still runnin'
Against the wind
Against the wind
Against the wind
Still runnin' (against the wind)
I'm still runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) I'm still runnin'
(Against the wind)
I'm still runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) still runnin'
(Against the wind)runnin' against the wind, runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) see the young man run
(Against the wind) watch the young man run
(Against the wind) watch the young man runnin'
(Against the wind) he'll be runnin' against the wind
(Against the wind) let the cowboys ride
(Against the wind) aah
(Against the wind) let the cowboys ride
(Against the wind) they'll be ridin' against the wind
(Against the wind) against the wind
(Against the wind) ridin' against the wind
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
This song is so touching if you really listen to it. It's about growing up and it's kind of bittersweet. It reminds me of an old boyfriend from high school and my early college years, and how innocence fades away from us, and how the people that have affected your life the most and made you who you are today, aren't really around anymore because we grow from that, and move on. It's a very depressing song in a way, but it's the best and i love it.
very bittersweet indeed<br /> :'(
wow 8 years since this was posted, heartfelt ,and soul searched...the person slips away from the intensity of young intimacy , the recklessness of youth into the gray aloneness of a knowledge we wish we hadn'<br /> t learned.
@scarlet08 Well done. I don't think i could have said that better myself.
ive always loved the line... Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then such a classic song!!
Best song Seger ever did, period
Its awesome. Its just a song about the ups and downs of life;how things change. Reminds me of an old girlfriend, too. I can relate to this song, because so much of this song reminds me of me, like this...
"It seems like yesterday But it was long ago Janey was lovely she was the queen of my nights There in the darkness with the radio playing low And the secrets that we shared The mountains that we moved Caught like a wildfire out of control 'Til there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove And I remember what she said to me How she swore that it never would end I remember how she held me oh so tight Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then"
Because me and her, we were in a long distance relationship, noone said we'd last. 2 years, not such a long time... we got to see each other often, even though we were 1400 miles apart. And she said she'd never leave me, wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then, as Bob Seger would say. Great song.
I remember quite a while back when I was riding my bike to work, I was on a slight but verly long incline and the wind was blowing against me. I was struggling to keep my speed up when an older man in a old jalopy of bike with no gears, just the direct front to back gear, cruised right past me. Not really that much faster than me, but nice and steady. (I was riding a multi-speed bike, around 18 speeds, an ideal feature providing a certain advantage, on top of the fact that he was probably 3 times my age.) I noted with a sort of comical internal irony how this might look to a thirdy party. All the while the harmonic outro chorus played along in my head over and over. It always make me laugh when I think about, which usually happens every time I hear this song.
An addition to your comment notmj20: "I also like when he talks about deadlines and commitments. he is no longer free; he comformed in exchange for not having to search for shelter again and again."
Yet he's still running against the wind.
This song strikes me as a reminder that conforming for the sake of conforming never made anybody's life easier. You'll always be runnin' against the wind, so make your life yours and stick to your guns. It'll make the struggle that much easier.
makes a beefcake like me cry like a lil kid.
The GREATEST ARTIST singing a great song. His voice is perfect, and he gets into the mood of the song. The sign of a truely great artist
My take on this is similar to a few of you. This song will always remind me of my first love. Long distance relationship, 8 hours apart. When I first heard this song it was scary how much I related to the first part of this song. We burned like a wildfire out of control until there was nothing left to burn and it hurt, it hurt a lot. My head was filled with all the what-ifs. What if I moved there, what if I never bothered, etc. Its kind of funny how songs imprint a specific moment from your life into your mind. This song will always remind me of Angie
this song's not a cover by seger... seger wrote it. many of the songs the highwaymen performed on their cd's were covers. oh and the 4th member of that supergroup was waylon. great piano, great lyrics. i can listen to it over and over again.
According to Timothy White, a writer for Rolling Stone, "'Against the Wind' is about trying to move ahead, keeping your sanity and integrity at the same time."
During an interview on 100 FM The Pike, Bob Seger said that "Against the Wind" came about from his days as a high-school cross country runner.