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.
This my excavation and to
Day is Qum'ran
Everything that happens is from now on
This is pouring rain
This is paralyzed
I keep throwing it down, two
Hundred at a time
It's hard to find it when you knew it
When your money's gone
And you're drunk as hell
On your back with your racks as he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and you're unstacking your load
I've been twisting to the sun
I needed to replace
And the fountain in the front yard is rusted out
All my love was down
In a frozen ground
There's a black crow sitting across from me
His wiry legs are crossed
He's dangling my keys, he even fakes a toss
Whatever could it be
That has brought me to this loss?
On your back with your racks as he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and you're unstacking your load
This is not the sound of a new man
Or a crispy realization
It's the sound of me unlocking and you lift away
Your love will be
Safe with me
Day is Qum'ran
Everything that happens is from now on
This is pouring rain
This is paralyzed
I keep throwing it down, two
Hundred at a time
It's hard to find it when you knew it
When your money's gone
And you're drunk as hell
On your back with your racks as he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and you're unstacking your load
I've been twisting to the sun
I needed to replace
And the fountain in the front yard is rusted out
All my love was down
In a frozen ground
There's a black crow sitting across from me
His wiry legs are crossed
He's dangling my keys, he even fakes a toss
Whatever could it be
That has brought me to this loss?
On your back with your racks as he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and he stacks your load
In the back with the racks and you're unstacking your load
This is not the sound of a new man
Or a crispy realization
It's the sound of me unlocking and you lift away
Your love will be
Safe with me
Lyrics submitted by J.Diddy, edited by humanitea, accountoffline, benapere
Re: Stacks Lyrics as written by Justin Vernon
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Light Up The Sky
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Holiday
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@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Gentle Hour
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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,
This song is using poker as a metaphor for being in a relationship, in this case, a failed relationship. When you play poker, you gamble, as you do in a relationship. In poker, you put your chips in the pot when you think you might win, but you are risking them, and they may all get taken away. In a relationship, if you are really committing, you put your heart into it. You risk getting your heart broken (all your chips taken away).
When you are drunk and gambling, you throw your chips into the pot and often make bad decisions, the liquor causing you to feel more optimistic about your hand than you should, causing you to gamble with reckless abandon. You behave the same way in love. You can become drunk with what you love about a person, with how you feel when you are with them, with how you envision the future with this person. Love actually changes the chemsitry of the human brain, like alcohol. Your vision gets clouded by love as it does by liquor. And you may not be able to see the downsides of the relationship in to which you are putting your chips (your heart), and you overplay your hand (put your heart into a relationship that's probably going to hurt you).
You are throwing down 200 at a time, losing your money (having your feelings hurt because of the issues in the relationship, your heart chipped away at).
And then your money's all gone and you are drunk as hell. Your heart's been broken and you are sitting there feeling the bad effects of the liquor.
I've twisting to the sun I needed to replace The fountain in the front yard is rusted out All my love was down In a frozen ground - this is talking about where he's at after the relationship was over. His love has been pushed under a frozen grown, but it's waiting for spring and will bloom again.
There's a black crow sitting across from me; his wiry legs are crossed And he's dangling my keys he even fakes a toss Whatever could it be That has brought me to this loss - I think of this as the black crow with the keys as an illusion as his mind wanders back and imagines that his love and relationship will come back, the black crow fake tossing his keys to her house back to him. Whatever could it be that brought me to this loss - a familiar feeling/question you experience as you morn the loss of your love. Why did this happen? How come I didn't see it? How could I have put my chips into this pot and had my heart broken so badly?
This is what I'm feeling now.
perfect analysis, in my opinion!
yeah, that's a bloody fantastic synopsis CL. very insightful. I've been content to just listen to this music and cover up in it like a blanket but eventually a lyric or two comes out and sticks in your mind till you can't be content till you know what it means. I'll enjoy this song even more now...<br />
@CarriesLove That feeling is universal when you've had your heart broken, I'm feeling it too as a matter of fact but as they say time is the best healer... <br /> <br /> On average they say it takes about 3 months for the brain to rewire and get over the loss although it can be less for some and if the loss is great it can even last life time. <br /> <br /> Hope you found light at the end the tunnel, I enjoyed reading your analysis. Thank you for sharing!