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.
Something about you really puts me down
You're the life of the party you're the toast of the town
Something about you really picks me up
Like a hot cup of coffee in a hot coffee cup
Feels like a Saturday, free and easy going
Reminded its a Sunday, to stop the flow from flowing
You can see clearly now the rain has gone
But it looks like someone's gone and dropped the bomb
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Something about her she reminds me of you
Something about him he could be me too
Something about them something about the other
Something I've got to tell you about my dad and your mother
Feels like a Saturday, free and easy going
Reminded its a Sunday, to stop the flow from flowing
You can see clearly now the rain has gone
But it looks like someone's gone and dropped the bomb
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Something about black, something about white
Something about wrong, something about right
Something about us, something about them
Something about Bill, definitely something about Ben
Something about you, something about me
Something about a, be, see, d and e
Something about hell, something about heaven
Something about 4, 5, 6 and 7
Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter...
You're the life of the party you're the toast of the town
Something about you really picks me up
Like a hot cup of coffee in a hot coffee cup
Feels like a Saturday, free and easy going
Reminded its a Sunday, to stop the flow from flowing
You can see clearly now the rain has gone
But it looks like someone's gone and dropped the bomb
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Something about her she reminds me of you
Something about him he could be me too
Something about them something about the other
Something I've got to tell you about my dad and your mother
Feels like a Saturday, free and easy going
Reminded its a Sunday, to stop the flow from flowing
You can see clearly now the rain has gone
But it looks like someone's gone and dropped the bomb
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter, Alice what's the matter
Something about black, something about white
Something about wrong, something about right
Something about us, something about them
Something about Bill, definitely something about Ben
Something about you, something about me
Something about a, be, see, d and e
Something about hell, something about heaven
Something about 4, 5, 6 and 7
Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter
Alice what's the matter...
Lyrics submitted by Forevergreen
Alice What's the Matter Lyrics as written by Ian Shuttleworth Leigh Marklew
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think it's about a love+secrets, anxiety+madness.
1st verse: He gets depressed over her popularity (he doesn't like her in the spotlight), but he's happy when she gives him attention or they're together.
Subchorus: "Free and easy going" - carefree blissful days with her, "reminded its a sunday" - but reality has a way of bringing them down again. "You can see clearly...dropped the bomb" - someone told her a secret and it's opened up her eyes about their relationship.
Chorus: "Alice, what's the matter?" he's anxious, wanting her to say something about the situation which has left her shell-shocked.
2nd verse: He starts seeing parts of their relationship in other people (unspoken guilt), but then creates a distinction between his+Alice's relationship and other people's (something about them, something about the other), some kind of secret. "Something I've got to tell you about my dad and your mother" - that they're secretly brother+sister.
SubChorus: He's carefree when he's with her, so he doesn't care about that - but the reality of the situation is there, and it has deeply affected her.
DarkChorus: "Alice, what's the matter?"(x4) - he's anxiously asking/pleading with her to say something about the situation. She's silent.
3rd verse: black/white (distinctions), wrong/right (morals), us/them (distinctions), Bill/Ben (secret relationships) - all something about them, something he doesn't care about.
4th verse: you/me (bro+sis), ABCDE (rigid archetypes), hell/heaven (morals and consequences), 4567 (rigid archetypes) - these are all just words to him, polarizations that don't matter - he still loves her.
Last Verse: He's gearfully pleading/screaming at her to say something, to say that she doesn't care either; but her silence is deafening, and... down the rabbit hole they tumble?
What a song! Saw their last gig at Penningtons and they rocked!
terrorvision r amazin n itsa shame not many ppl have heard of em
They could write lyrics about anything - so refreshing!
At times it seems like nonsense rhymes - Lewis Carroll reference perhaps? Along with the "tick tick" during the intro.