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.
What the fuck is this world
Running to, you didn't
Leave a message, at least I
Could have learned your voice one last time
Daily minefield, this could
Be my time, 'bout you?
Would you hit me?
Would you hit me?
Oh oh oh
Oh whoa whoa, oh
All the bills go by, and
Initiatives are taken up
By the middle, there ain't gonna be any middle any more
And the cross I'm bearing home
Ain't indicative of my place, left the porch
Left the porch, oh oh oh
Hear my name, take a good look
This could be the day
Hold my hand, walk beside me
I just need to say
Hear my name, take a good look
This could be the day
Hold my hand, walk beside me
I just need to say
I could not take a-just one day
I know when I would not ever touch you
Hold you, feel you in my arms ever again
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Running to, you didn't
Leave a message, at least I
Could have learned your voice one last time
Daily minefield, this could
Be my time, 'bout you?
Would you hit me?
Would you hit me?
Oh oh oh
Oh whoa whoa, oh
All the bills go by, and
Initiatives are taken up
By the middle, there ain't gonna be any middle any more
And the cross I'm bearing home
Ain't indicative of my place, left the porch
Left the porch, oh oh oh
Hear my name, take a good look
This could be the day
Hold my hand, walk beside me
I just need to say
Hear my name, take a good look
This could be the day
Hold my hand, walk beside me
I just need to say
I could not take a-just one day
I know when I would not ever touch you
Hold you, feel you in my arms ever again
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
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,
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
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/
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.
Back in '91 I went with some friends to an "Alice in Chains" show at "The Bacchanal" in San Diego. The opening band, "Mookie Blaylock" stole the show. My friends and I were mesmerized. I got goosebumps many times during that performance, but especially during a particular song that I didn't know the name of. For months we searched magazines and stores, looking for anything by them, but it didn't exist. When I heard that they had changed their name to "Pearl Jam" and were going to release an album soon, I counted down the days. When I bought it, I had finally found that song that gave me the goosebumps. It was "Porch". But I was intrigued by the words now that I saw them in print, because I had no idea what they could possibly have been about. Then I saw the "Pro-Choice on the arm" appearance on TV and made that same connection that everyone else makes that this song was about pro choice...and I believed it. Maybe I forced the idea upon the song because I was convinced that it was true. But looking at it now, I do think it fits. Think about the words from the perspective of a guy imagining how scary it would be if an "initiative" became a "bill" and then passed into law, overturning roe v. wade, making abortion illegal. It's like he was saying that if abortion was illegal, then young love would be a "daily minefield", always worrying that "this could be the day" that they might discover that they have to bring an unwanted/unplanned child into the world. And he's pondering that maybe he couldn't handle that and instead he "would not ever touch her, hold her, feel her...never again". Sure, birth control could solve that problem, but we all know how over-dramatic Eddie can be. I think not only is it a "pro choice" song, it's a "get out and vote so women will keep the choice" song.