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.
Ever since I saw you
On my so-called life,
I've been writing you these letters
Asking you to be my wife.
But its been almost a year
And still I've gotten no reply,
I'm assuming you have met some other guy.
So I sit in my room,
Watch Romeo & Juliet
A thousand times.
I wish I was as cool
As Leonardo is
But I'm not.
[Chorus]
I went on Jerry Springer
To confess my love to you
You said I didn't have a chance
And there was nothing I could do
You told me I was crazy
And wished that I was dead.
You threw a chair right upside my head
Today I highjacked a plane
I wrote your name across the sky,
Miss Clare Danes.
But they were waiting on the ground
To take me straight to jail
[Chorus]
I'm staring at your pictures
From my lonely little cell
I'm writing you this letter
To let you know i doing well
Until we meet again
You know I'll cry a thousand tears
And I'll see you in another twenty years.
I'll see you in another twenty years.
I'll see you in another twenty years.
On my so-called life,
I've been writing you these letters
Asking you to be my wife.
But its been almost a year
And still I've gotten no reply,
I'm assuming you have met some other guy.
So I sit in my room,
Watch Romeo & Juliet
A thousand times.
I wish I was as cool
As Leonardo is
But I'm not.
[Chorus]
I went on Jerry Springer
To confess my love to you
You said I didn't have a chance
And there was nothing I could do
You told me I was crazy
And wished that I was dead.
You threw a chair right upside my head
Today I highjacked a plane
I wrote your name across the sky,
Miss Clare Danes.
But they were waiting on the ground
To take me straight to jail
[Chorus]
I'm staring at your pictures
From my lonely little cell
I'm writing you this letter
To let you know i doing well
Until we meet again
You know I'll cry a thousand tears
And I'll see you in another twenty years.
I'll see you in another twenty years.
I'll see you in another twenty years.
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
this is probably the ataris' best song on "look forward to failure" besides san dimas high school football rules. obviously it's about guy who is crazily in love with a girl that wants nothing to do with him. it's a great song. w00t yay for ataris. =D
the guy being kris and the grrrrrl being clare danes. he had 'a major crush' on her in 'my so called life' hense the song title.
This is just a crazy all around feel good song!!! I love the ending!
'my so called life' is a tv show... claire danes is an actress who stars this show (i think, i'm not from usa)
kris wrote this song and was going to show it to claire danes but she was dating ben lee and didn't want anything with him ... so he wrote the song "ben lee"
where the hell are the lyrics to san dimas high school football rules?..i like that song..but am personally too lazy to put them up there myself...hahahaha...any body wanna do it for me? so that i may comment on it? lol..oh yeah..my so called life is a good song too (=
this is the first ataris song i ever heard... they introduced me to punk in general (punk in general -- is that ok to say?) anyways, this song is hilarious and the ataris rock!
hahaha!! he got smacked in the head!! Rock on Ataris! Keep those stinkin psycho stalkers away Claire Danes! I wanna see the music video of this if there is one.
:)... nuff said
this is one great song n i love it
Which part does Mark Hoppus sing? Is it the "I'm staring at your pictures from my lonely little cell"? It doesn't sound like him. Or is he the backup "ahhh ahh"? Haha. I can't tell, damnit.