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.
Dear Chicago,
You'll never guess
You know the girl you said I'd meet someday?
Well I got something to confess,
She picked me up on Friday,
Asked me if she reminded me of you?
I just laughed and lit a cigarette,
Said That's impossible to do.
Life's gotten simple since
And it fluctuates so much,
Happy and sad and back again
I'm not crying now too much.
I think about you all the time,
It's strange and hard to deal
I think about you lying there,
And those blanket's lie so still.
Nothing breathes here in the cold,
Nothing moves or even smiles,
I've been thinking some of suicide,
But there's bars out here for miles.
Sorry about the every kiss,
Every kiss you wasted bad.
I think the thing you said was true
I'm gonna die alone and sad.
The wind's feelin' real these days,
Yeah and baby it hurts me some,
Never thought I'd feel so blue,
New York City you're almost gone.
I think that I've fallen out of love,
I think I've fallen out of love,
I think I've fallen out of love, with you
You'll never guess
You know the girl you said I'd meet someday?
Well I got something to confess,
She picked me up on Friday,
Asked me if she reminded me of you?
I just laughed and lit a cigarette,
Said That's impossible to do.
Life's gotten simple since
And it fluctuates so much,
Happy and sad and back again
I'm not crying now too much.
I think about you all the time,
It's strange and hard to deal
I think about you lying there,
And those blanket's lie so still.
Nothing breathes here in the cold,
Nothing moves or even smiles,
I've been thinking some of suicide,
But there's bars out here for miles.
Sorry about the every kiss,
Every kiss you wasted bad.
I think the thing you said was true
I'm gonna die alone and sad.
The wind's feelin' real these days,
Yeah and baby it hurts me some,
Never thought I'd feel so blue,
New York City you're almost gone.
I think that I've fallen out of love,
I think I've fallen out of love,
I think I've fallen out of love, with you
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Light Up The Sky
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Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
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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.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
I think this was written over a period of time. HE goes back and forth with it.. " Happy and sad and back again I'm not crying now too much...I think about you all the time..." i think it is the phases in getting over someone. One day you can be fine...the next minute...you could be a total mess. I think the person in the song is still inlove... and I dont think he ever gets over her. The song is just a bunch of contradictory statements to try and make the guy believe that he is ok...and maybe somedays he is...but really...he misses her so bad that he can't stand it...well atleast that is what I think.
Okay, so here's my interpretation, and it is most likely based upon my own life experiences, as most interpretations are... butttt Chicago and New York are actually two seperate people. Chicago is the person that he just recently broke up with, the one that it's still so fresh that he's still trying to cope with it and he thinks he's close, but he just keeps fluctuating and everything reminds him of her.
The last part:
"The wind's feelin' real these days, yeah and baby it hurts me some... Never thought I'd feel so blue, New York City you're almost gone.
I think that I've fallen out of love, I think I've fallen out of love, I think I've fallen out of love...with you"
Is talking about an old love, perhaps a first love (at least for me :) ). That person who you never thought you could get over, and probably even still thought about throughout the aforementioned love, the person who you always seem to compare everyone else to, and yet some how that person is almost gone from your memory. You're finally reaching that point where you can let go of that person, where you've fallen out of love with them and can feel the wind of others- but it's a melancholy feeling, because you got so used to missing them that now you're missing that loneliness that came from loving and missing them- it became a comfort zone, and now it's almost gone as your love for them has ceased.
I can't believe this is the first time I've heard this fantastic, brilliant track.
I can't get enough of it.
Definitely for me, a dude getting over previous loves and meeting, and even, allowing new love where he probably didn't think it was possible. Hating yourself for still loving someone is a BITCH to deal with.
He's a freakin' genius.
i like your interpretation. i think deep down everyone has had a "chicago" in their life and the realization that the feelings and emotions associated with that individual aren't as strong or even existent is a bittersweet and sometimes numbing feeling.
Ryan Adams is one of my all time favs and this is one of my favs by him, he is the most underrated artist in music in my humble opinion
Indeed!! Completely agree but oh, so healthy!
Ah damn, I'm surpised that no one has written about this song yet. Well, it is hard to write about it, to be honest... its music is just sweeping and ambient... I imagine a busker with their face blued out by the cutlassing night when I hear it...
i love the first verse of this song, don't even know why but it's awesome
Easily one of my favorites. A late scratch off of "Heartbreaker". Nice and depressing.
This is by far my favorite Ryan Adams song. I just wondered if it's really about NYC or about a person? I always thought it was about New York, though... I mean he lives there and had that "New York, New York" song..
ChubbyPrincess: this song is about Amy Lombardi, the girl whose painful break-up with Ryan inspired him to write the "Heartbreaker" album. So RyDogg66 is spot-on when he says that it's "a late scratch off of 'Heartbreaker'".
The bit where he says "Nothing breathes here in the cold/Nothing moves or even smiles/I've been thinking some of suicide/But there's bars out here for miles" is 100% Ryan. Concise, but masterful.
"I think about you all the time, It's strange and hard to deal I think about you lying there, and those blanket's lie so still." thats just to good...ryan adams please marry me
"Nothing breathes here in the cold, Nothing moves or even smiles, I've been thinking some of suicide, but there's bars out here for miles. Sorry about the every kiss; Every kiss you wasted bad. I think the thing you said was true I'm gonna die alone and sad."
raw heartbreak.. and depression that followed it. it seems that he just can't get over the girl..