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.
Rumbling thunder cracks the sky
And rain starts pouring down
Lightning strikes a cold bright light
Upon the blood drenched ground
The sword play is hard
And many falls
Steel bites sharp in flesh
And upon a mountain
Towering tall
Stands the messengers of death
Five horsemen in armour bright
Waiting in the flashing light
Looking down upon the field
Where Vikings fight with axe and shield
On stallions black as night
With eyes burning red
They ride with thunder to the fight
Deliverance of certain death
A warcry loud as Heimdall'shorne
Echoes across the land
Enemies who hear it freeze to the bone
Friends of doom proudly stands
They ride faster than the wind
With lightning speed they strike
Black ravens follow where they've been
To feed from those died
With power they vield their swords
As they ride down fleeing men
Sending them to Hel's dark court
To never come back again
The warriors ride once more
To the mountain from which they came
Once sent by the Gods to war
And they never return in shame
And rain starts pouring down
Lightning strikes a cold bright light
Upon the blood drenched ground
The sword play is hard
And many falls
Steel bites sharp in flesh
And upon a mountain
Towering tall
Stands the messengers of death
Five horsemen in armour bright
Waiting in the flashing light
Looking down upon the field
Where Vikings fight with axe and shield
On stallions black as night
With eyes burning red
They ride with thunder to the fight
Deliverance of certain death
A warcry loud as Heimdall'shorne
Echoes across the land
Enemies who hear it freeze to the bone
Friends of doom proudly stands
They ride faster than the wind
With lightning speed they strike
Black ravens follow where they've been
To feed from those died
With power they vield their swords
As they ride down fleeing men
Sending them to Hel's dark court
To never come back again
The warriors ride once more
To the mountain from which they came
Once sent by the Gods to war
And they never return in shame
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
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.