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.
Ophelia drowned in the water
Crushed by her own weight
Hitler loved little blue-eyed boys
And it drove him to hate
Birds always grow silent before the night descends
Cause nature has a funny way of breaking what does not bend
A hero's torso built of steel and Novocain
His heart a bitter beat inside a bloodless frame
There was a hole inside his soul a manicure could not fill
So he found himself a whore to love
While daisies choked in the window sill
We've made houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
For innocence can't be lost
It just needs to be maintained
A small town in Ohio
Two boys are filled with violence
And darkness spreads its legs for hate and ignorance
We are given to a god to put our faith therein
But to be forgiven, we must first believe in sin
We've made houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
For innocence can't be lost
It just needs to be maintained
I want to live bravely and love without fear
I want always to feel the wings of grace near
We all will be Christed when we hear ourselves say
We are that to which we pray
We've made houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
We've built houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
For innocence can't be lost
Crushed by her own weight
Hitler loved little blue-eyed boys
And it drove him to hate
Birds always grow silent before the night descends
Cause nature has a funny way of breaking what does not bend
A hero's torso built of steel and Novocain
His heart a bitter beat inside a bloodless frame
There was a hole inside his soul a manicure could not fill
So he found himself a whore to love
While daisies choked in the window sill
We've made houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
For innocence can't be lost
It just needs to be maintained
A small town in Ohio
Two boys are filled with violence
And darkness spreads its legs for hate and ignorance
We are given to a god to put our faith therein
But to be forgiven, we must first believe in sin
We've made houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
For innocence can't be lost
It just needs to be maintained
I want to live bravely and love without fear
I want always to feel the wings of grace near
We all will be Christed when we hear ourselves say
We are that to which we pray
We've made houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
We've built houses for hatred
It's time we made a place
Where people's souls may be seen and made safe
Be careful with each other
These fragile flames
For innocence can't be lost
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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.
The Night We Met
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"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"
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
I think this is one of Jewel's best songs. It threads together many themes that appear in other work.
1) The importance of applying our energy to positive persuits, justice, happiness, love, beauty, caring for humanity. Let's build each other up and not destroy. "We've made houses for hatred It's time we make a place where People's souls may be seen and made safe"
2) The fragility of humanity and the power and beauty of innocence. "Be careful with each other these fragile flames Innocence can't be lost it just needs to be maintained"
3) The righteousness of tolerance for fellow humans. "Cause nature has a funny way of breaking what does not bend" "As night in the darkness spreads it's legs for hate and ignorance."
The cynical among us may scoff at these simple themes but I'd argue that these ideas are not stated often enough. And in today's society it is the cynical that has become cliche.
in my opinion she is basically saying give people a chance, they may have done wrong before, but we are all human. we are all innocent if we maintain that point of view
The one question I have is the first line:
"Ophelia drowned in the water Crushed by her own weight"
I'm confused about what she means that ophelia was crushed by her own weight. I see Hamlet's Ophelia as being the senseless victim of Hamlet's path of destruction. She represents the unintended concequences of our selfish actions. Hamlet dumps her because he is consumed by the hatred for his uncle and the injustice of his father's death. Then he kills her father accidentally in a fit of rage while lashing out at his uncle and mother. Ophelia drowns herself because she cannot handle the cruelty of it all. How is this Ophelia's own weight?
If anything, she provides an example of how we need to care for all of humanity.
I think what she means is that ophelia had taken this onto herself..and added it to her own weight??..but thats just my guess..<br /> ..beautiful song i love it one of my fave jewel songs..
In my opinion, Jewel is very spiritual. If I had to guess her faith based on her songs, I would say that she is like me. She aligns herself with not one faith, but several. The most prominent appear to be Gnostic Christianity and Buddhism. In Buddhism, a common saying is that enlightenment is not something you can learn. You can only achieve it through a process of unlearning. As children, we don't have fear, hate, stereotypes, and we forgive very easily. We take a person at face value and don't judge their motives. Just because one person wrongs you doesn't mean everyone will. We leave ourselves and our hearts open. We learn the these negative behaviors along the way. We don't lose our innocence, it is always there, we just have to maintain it. All of her spiritual songs seem to have the same message. (Though beautifully put and each unique) Shed yourself of fear, hate, and anger. That is the only way to achieve true freedom/ spiritual awakening. Try to only let yourself feel positive emotions and cast that out to other people. Control no one but yourself. Love everyone. Teach others through your own actions. Live your life with meaning. I love her! At least that is how I take it. I know I may be bias... LOL Have a beautiful day!