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.
And even though the moment passed me by
I still can't turn away
'Cause all the dreams you never thought you'd lose
Got tossed along the way
And letters that you never meant to send
Get lost or thrown away
And now we're grown up orphans
That never knew their names
We don't belong to no one
That's a shame
You could hide beside me
Maybe for a while
And I won't tell no one your name
And I won't tell 'em your name
And scars are souvenirs you never lose
The past is never far
Did you lose yourself somewhere out there
Did you get to be a star?
And don't it make you sad to know that life
Is more than who we are?
We grew up way too fast
And now there's nothing to believe
And reruns all become our history
A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio
And I won't tell no one your name
And I won't tell 'em your name
I won't tell 'em your name
I won't tell 'em your name, ow
I think about you all the time
But I don't need the same
It's lonely where you are, come back down
And I won't tell 'em your name
I still can't turn away
'Cause all the dreams you never thought you'd lose
Got tossed along the way
And letters that you never meant to send
Get lost or thrown away
And now we're grown up orphans
That never knew their names
We don't belong to no one
That's a shame
You could hide beside me
Maybe for a while
And I won't tell no one your name
And I won't tell 'em your name
And scars are souvenirs you never lose
The past is never far
Did you lose yourself somewhere out there
Did you get to be a star?
And don't it make you sad to know that life
Is more than who we are?
We grew up way too fast
And now there's nothing to believe
And reruns all become our history
A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio
And I won't tell no one your name
And I won't tell 'em your name
I won't tell 'em your name
I won't tell 'em your name, ow
I think about you all the time
But I don't need the same
It's lonely where you are, come back down
And I won't tell 'em your name
Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by queenjonny, AtticusZP, liniwa, stargazer7, jamieroscoexo, WanderingWisp, 1178321050, denial2k
Name Lyrics as written by John Rzeznik
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I think what makes this song great is that so many people can relate to it. For me it's on a very personal note:
"Even though the moment passed me by I still can't turn away"- Before I left for the army I had been with this girl for over 2 years. I loved her dearly. She loved me just as much. We would tell each other everything and help each other out. I wanted to propose to her but never came around to doing it. I regret it so much to this day.
"All the dreams you never thought you'd lose, got tossed along the way"- We spend almost every day with each other. We would talk about having a family together. How our children would look, where'd we live. All as we lay together, her head on my chest. Then I left for the Army and didn't propose to her.
"Letters that you never meant to send, got lost or thrown away"- During Basic Training in Fort Benning, GA i sent a whole lot of letters to her. At the time she was living with her divorced father who, after she read the letters, threw them away because he told her to stop "dreaming" that we'd be together. I was gone and deployed to Afghanistan.
"Now we're grown up orphans that never knew their names. We don't belong to no one that's a shame"- She had grown up in a broken home with an abusive drunk father that would usually hit her mother. She had to learn how to take care of herself more or less. She felt she didn't belong there. She didn't deserve to be there.
"You could hide beside me, maybe for a while. And I won't tell no one you're name."- Getting to know someone's "name" doesn't necessarily mean literally. For us telling each other our names was getting to know each other. telling each others our secrets. She would always come to me when things got bad and I wouldn't tell anyone the real things that were happening in her life. I wouldn't tell no one her "Name". I would make sure I would do anything to make sure that if she needed to talk to me I'd be there.
"Scars are souvenirs you never lose. The past is never far"- Later on she got married and had a daughter with an abusive husband. She is now divorced. She had to deal with the scars of her childhood and the past of her relationship. I took my scars of being away from her in Afghanistan. And knowing that she had gotten married. It hurt me a lot. But i would still be there for her when she needed to talk to me, even if it was just by laptop or sat phone.
"Did you lose yourself somewhere out there? Did you get to be a star?"- She had seemed to have gotten lost in this idea of a perfect marriage, when it truly wasn't what she had wanted. She thought that in that marriage she would be shown what she truly was. As beautiful and bright as a star. That wasn't the case. Again I was there when she needed me. Listening to her cry on the phone. And there I was fighting for my country trying to become my own star with honor. But even when i got lost in the customs of the Army she would always remind me that I still loved her.
"Don't it make you sad to know that life; is more than who we are"- In the army we were taught this and especially in almost any relationship you're in, it's not usually about who you are but what you do and how you treat people that people will remember you by. Even though she was married and divorced she admitted that she still loved me and missed me: not for who i was but because I had been there for her when she needed me the most. And that extent that I would go to make her happy.
"You grew up way to fast. Now there's nothing to believe and reruns all become our history"- She had her first daughter at 19 making it hard be a young mother. She had to grow up fast. After her first marriage she tried it again. She had another daughter with that husband who was also a jerk and asshole that i wanted to beat the shit out of. Sound familiar? She is currently finishing the divorce with him. Again I was there when she cried, when she missed me, when she wished so bad for me to come home...
"A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio. And I won't tell no one you're name"- Most of the time I would talk to her I would be coming back from guard duty or patrol exhausted as hell, going to go listen to Pandora on my laptop in the barracks. This was usually the time that I would talk to her cause of the time difference. Again I would just keep what she told me to myself. I told her that I still loved her. And missed her.
"I think about you all the time. But i don't need the same. It's lonely where you are come back down. And i won't tell them you're name"- I loved her and missed her everyday i was over there and still do today (i still talk to her). I would die for her and for her daughters. All i had wished was that there was some way to convince her to "come down" from the life that she had so that if she ever needed to tell me her "Name", her secrets, her fears, her love, her dreams, that i would be right there just as we were before i left; with her head on my chest, with her daughters forever as a family. And I would never tell a soul...But no matter how much i wish this i must understand that i should make her happy most of all. Even if that's not with me. I will miss her and love her for the remainder of my life. "But i don't need the same".
Your love story is very touching - and you are a an amazing friend to your true love. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to believe in ourselves we cannot overcome what we've been told by others that we're just not worth anything.
Maybe too personal for this forum, but why aren't you with her? Have you told her how much she means to you?<br /> <br /> I have an ex with a similar relationship. It has only lasted a few years, and there haven't been any marriages or children for each of us. But she means a ton to me, a true friend. Unfortunately, my current girlfriend (of the past year) won't have anything to do with her. I can't even mention a past event from my life without upsetting her. Just not sure how I can ever maintain this friendship but still move on romantically with somebody else.
Awesome story. Thanks for you service and your sacrifice. Both of you deserve happiness.
@mikalwagner This is deep man...as a veteran talking to another veteran, i feel your pain....
@mikalwagner i was hoping you were gonna possibly say you did end up back together after all that you both went through and you didnt so It made me sad rwading this. You should rewrite the ending. For real. Rewrite it. ;) <br /> <br /> Hey. Thanks for your service. I was 18bon 9/11 and just graduated from high schoolthat previous May. I thought on that day I was going to war but it didnt end up being a draft kind of deal. I just stayed in school. I dont regret not serving but Im grateful to you all that did. Im sorry it was such a quagmire of a situation that still has not met a conclussion.
@mikalwagner 7 years late but im going to use that as the meaning of the song in my head