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.
I'm paralysed and things could change for you as well
You're not so bad off now, you can move anything you need
I'm not this way because of an emergency I caused
At seventeen a guard perched above the chlorine floor
When I saw a hand raise up from just beneath the air
A frantic move for help, I made an instant judgment call
Dive, I arched my feet to dive, I broke the elemental line
To save a child.
Dive, into the shallow floor
The bottom scraped my palms and compressed my spine
Now I'm paralysed while they just hope to make amends
The family and the kid who faked the drowning accident
I've felt the hand of God and that's the last thing I felt
At all below my back, I've lost the faith I thought I had.
Dive, I arched my feet to dive, I broke the elemental line
To save a child.
Dive, into the shallow floor
The bottom scraped my palms and compressed my spine
You're not so bad off now, you can move anything you need
I'm not this way because of an emergency I caused
At seventeen a guard perched above the chlorine floor
When I saw a hand raise up from just beneath the air
A frantic move for help, I made an instant judgment call
Dive, I arched my feet to dive, I broke the elemental line
To save a child.
Dive, into the shallow floor
The bottom scraped my palms and compressed my spine
Now I'm paralysed while they just hope to make amends
The family and the kid who faked the drowning accident
I've felt the hand of God and that's the last thing I felt
At all below my back, I've lost the faith I thought I had.
Dive, I arched my feet to dive, I broke the elemental line
To save a child.
Dive, into the shallow floor
The bottom scraped my palms and compressed my spine
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i agree with passer-bye i think that the "elemental line" that was broken was 'no diving in shallow waters.' a basic rule of thumb (or line) that was broken.
and quoting "i broke the elemental line to save a child, dive-into the shallow water" he is stating that a decision was made to desregaurd basic training and common sense to save the life of a child whos life took priority over protical. doing so proved fatal, though he had to make a decision. "i felt the hand of god" he had someones life in his hands. he was playing god in that moment. save the child he thought was drowning and pay the consequences or let him or her die.
also, it is truly chilling his mentionings of the family just trying to make amends. almost as if they are trying to push what has happened under the rug. taking a kids will be kids non chelance. though he is the one that still has to live with it everyday.
"taking a kids will be kids non chelance." Not sure what you're trying to say here. I'm thinking nonchalance for the last two words, but I don't understand anything else.<br /> <br /> I think you could read the line about how the family "just move to make amends" in a few different ways. One would be that they actually moved away, which seems likely in a more self-concerned sort of way. Another that they're simply trying to do what they can to make amends, but nothing they do is going to fix the condition he's in. They're just going through the movements, perhaps in sincerity and perhaps not. Regardless, they can't fix his spinal cord.