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.
So this is odd,
The painful realization
That all has gone wrong
And nobody cares at all,
And nobody cares at all.
So you buried all your lover's clothes
And burned the letters lover wrote,
But it doesn't make it any better.
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
In the hall where you had your first kiss
Reminds you that the memories will fade.
So this is strange,
Our sidestepping has come to be
A brilliant dance
Where nobody leads at all,
Where nobody leads at all.
And the picture frames are facing down
And the ringing from this empty sound
Is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
And thinking's just too much to ask
And you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.
Well, this is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
Yes, this is love for the first time.
And you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once
Before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.
The painful realization
That all has gone wrong
And nobody cares at all,
And nobody cares at all.
So you buried all your lover's clothes
And burned the letters lover wrote,
But it doesn't make it any better.
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
In the hall where you had your first kiss
Reminds you that the memories will fade.
So this is strange,
Our sidestepping has come to be
A brilliant dance
Where nobody leads at all,
Where nobody leads at all.
And the picture frames are facing down
And the ringing from this empty sound
Is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
And thinking's just too much to ask
And you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.
Well, this is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
Yes, this is love for the first time.
And you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once
Before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.
Lyrics submitted by BrandNew1208
The Brilliant Dance Lyrics as written by Christopher Andrew Carrabba
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"And the plaster dented from your fist in the hall where you had your first kiss reminds you that the memories will fade."
such a sad line... just thinking about how most relationships ultimately end up in heartaches and what used to cause you so much joy ends up causing so much pain... and at the same time knowing that almost all of the time it will all fade away and leave you with memories.
such a good sad song
I"m crying right now. Why does it have to be so hard? So impossible? So intangible.
I think Chris intends on you putting your own emotions and experiences in the lyrics. So you can live your memories and feelings through his lyrics. I don't think his intention was for you to know exactly where he was coming from, just for you to share a common feeling and share the release of emotions. Maybe that's just me.
"And the plaster dented from your fist in the hall where you had your first kiss reminds you that the memories will fade."
just thought I'd add something to the above, I think this part is showing where the upset lover punches the wall in the hallway at the memories, in painful realisation so to speak when the memories flood back. I've done this myself in a pretty much identical situation...
ive only known about DC for about a month but he is by far one of the most creative writers ive ever heard. this song reminds me of an old girlfriend i had... it ended pretty badly. but its amazing how Chris puts it into words like he does.
i wish i could have written this song. but in a way....i feel like i did....
analysis: the writer is obviously recalling past events gist: love is unbearable when over alternating negitive and positive meanings ex: "this is incredible, starving..." the BRILLIANT DANCE refers to how magnificent love is and, in my opinion, "where nobody leads at all" means that love is only possible by two people-no one leads perhaps why chris' songs are so moving and easily related to is because these are expeirences that everyone eventually feels
In a way, I feel like Chris is comparing the downfalls to the ups of love in this song. Its almost like its not worth it, yet no one can ever live with out love. Why do we take it knowing that everything will most likely end? That is this song.
I really don't like it when people try to figure out what an emo artist is trying to say, maybe they don't want you to know what they are saying so they write it in a way that noone understands but them. What you take from a song, let that be what the song means to you ( which is obviously what it is) and let the artist release their whatever without analzing everthing they write, that is for them to know, if they wanted us to know, they would explain each song in the jacket of the CD. Sorry I am just venting, I hate when people analyze my songs, half the time I don't know what I'm talking about (by the way, I am just some guy who like to write music and sing, but I have no album, and perform at random places at random times), that's life, which is why most of us musicians write music, to deal with what we don't understand in life.
This song is one of the most beautiful pieces of poetry I have read and listened to. It truly is poetry. Every word in here is needed; every line adds something gorgeous to the whole. It does sound a bit like Chris is giving up, but this line makes it seem all worthwhile: "This is incredible. Starving, insatiable, yes, this is love for the first time." Starving love...what beauty.
"so you buried all your lover's clothes and burned the letters lover wrote, but it doesnt make it any better. does it make it any better?" i take this as... trying to destroy memories wont make anything any easier... only time will let memories fade. this is one of his best songs with amazing heart felt lyrics. i cant go throught listening to this song without crying.