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.
When your day is long
And the night
The night is yours alone
When you're sure you've had enough
Of this life
Well, hang on
Don't let yourself go
'Cause everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes
Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone (hold on)
(Hold on) if you feel like letting go (hold on)
If you think you've had too much
Of this life
Well, hang on
'Cause everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts
Don't throw your hand
Oh, no
Don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone
No, no, no, you're not alone
If you're on your own
In this life
The days and nights are long
When you think you've had too much
Of this life
To hang on
Well, everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes
So hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Everybody hurts
No, no, no, no, no
You are not alone
And the night
The night is yours alone
When you're sure you've had enough
Of this life
Well, hang on
Don't let yourself go
'Cause everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes
Sometimes everything is wrong
Now it's time to sing along
When your day is night alone (hold on)
(Hold on) if you feel like letting go (hold on)
If you think you've had too much
Of this life
Well, hang on
'Cause everybody hurts
Take comfort in your friends
Everybody hurts
Don't throw your hand
Oh, no
Don't throw your hand
If you feel like you're alone
No, no, no, you're not alone
If you're on your own
In this life
The days and nights are long
When you think you've had too much
Of this life
To hang on
Well, everybody hurts sometimes
Everybody cries
And everybody hurts sometimes
And everybody hurts sometimes
So hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, hold on
Everybody hurts
No, no, no, no, no
You are not alone
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Just a quick word on the "It's about Kurt Cobain" comments - Automatic for the People came out in 1992, two years before Kurt Cobain killed himself. A simple google search, that's all it takes sometimes...
It is possible (indeed, likely) to be depressed before you commit suicide. The song may or may not be written with Cobain in mind but the timeline does not exclude the possibility. Besides the song sounds to me to be written for someone who is not yet dead. How can you "hold on" if you've already let go.
Maybe he wrote it for Cobain before he killed himself.
This songs reminds me of how little we know about the people around us until its to late, at some time in our lives someone we know, care about or love will die, some may even kill them selves, its only then we ask ourselves WHY. Why did this happen, why did they do it, why didn’t they come to me, the answer being the same reason when were feeling down we keep it to ourselves, it’s a private hurt that no one else has ever felt and that no one could understand. This songs tells us that everybody hurts sometime, like the tears from a clown, comedians are said to be some of the saddest people in the world hiding there pain by making other people laugh, they use the laughter they create to deflect there inner pain. Some people say that suicide is the cowards way out, far from it its possibly the bravest thing in the world, There is a Cary Grant film the title of which escapes me for now but the idea behind the film is a man finds himself in a situation where he thinks the world and the people he most cares about would be better off without him, an Angel gives him the chance to see the world as if he never existed, the empty lives of the people he had never touched, if only we could all see the difference each and everyone of us makes to the world and the people in it no matter how smaller part we think we play. Someone would miss us all, someone else who hurts just like us just like everybody sometimes
You're thinking of "It's A Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart, not Cary Grant.
@acheron NOT Cary Grant, it was Jimmy Steward and the movies is "It's a Wonderful lIfe" a christmas favorite for many people. enjoy<br />
@acheron
This song gives hope out there for everyone whom has been hurt in the past. Anti-suicide song. I heard Stipe wrote this for Kurt Cobain, but that's only what I heard. This song makes me cry at times too. The music video goes so well with the song. It's just a reassurance kind of song saying "Everybody does hurt, so don't think it's just you.". The end with Stipe singing "Hold on....so hold on". Is very beautiful, and in the video, that being the only thing he is just beautiful.
this song was a plea to american teenagers because at the time the us teenage suicide rate was at an all timme hi
with you on the kurt thing tho<br />
Let Me In is about Kurt Cobain. This song is supposedly what Kurt was listening to when he killed himself.
@TasChiBandGirl This song was written by the drummer Bill Berry, with the intention of reaching out to people on the verge of suicide. It was (apparently) written about no specific person, hence "everybody". And Stipe was probably the closest member to Cobain, so it seems very unlikely that this was written for him, 2 years before his suicide.
it's a good message....stick it out, because everyone hurts sometimes, and just like them, you too will be alright.
this is one of the few songs ever written which everyone, and i mean EVERYONE can relate to at some point, because everyone gets low sometime. and you have to keep hoping. cos everybody hurts. anyways, that's what i think...
I think this song is a big eye opener for a lot of people including me in that at the end of the day we are all mortal meaning we all feel the same, hurt the same and indeed are the same, to deny pain is to deny yourself the freedom of your own emotions, we can't keep things bottled up inside ourselves all the time because that is exactly what causes silent ticking time bombs in society imploding. If only more people were in touch with their emotions then so much internal conflict could be avoided.
This song makes me cry everytime I hear it, of course that may have to do with the fact that the only time I listen to it is when I'm depressed...
Please tell me how in the world R.E.M. managed to write this song and get it exactly RIGHT. The message is clear. It's the only song that I can take any lyric and actually have it comfort me in whatever situation. How did they know just what to say? Amazing song.
Does anybody spot the double meaning of the title lyric "everybody hurts" it can mean two things it can mean that everbody can cause you pain or it could mean everyone experiences pain and suffering like you. I'd really like to know which meaning micheal stipe would prefer us to interpret it as.
This song is so amazing and true. What I get from this song is that if I'm hurting there is always someone out there who is hurting worse. Everyone has baggage, some just have more than others. "When you're sure you've had enough of this life, well hang on. Don't let yourself go, everybody cries and everybody hurts sometimes." But this too, shall pass. "Take comfort in your friends." Because that's all anyone really has. The following is a truism and I am not being facetious: Giving someone in need a million dollars is extremely meritorious, but being a true friend transcends all.
whenever I hear this super song I think of the music video, which I think is one of the most brilliant music videos ever made. All the people stuck in traffic and thinking about the stressful events that drape their everyday lives, then all the sudden its like the light of importance went off and all the people got out of their cars and started walking through the traffic. It goes to show that in life there will always be problems, but in the end eveythings ok.