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.
There was a love affair in this building
The kind of love affair
Which every respectable building must keep as a legend
Slowly festering through an innocent "by the way"
Or "have you heard"
He was perfect except for the fact that he was an engineer
And mothers prefer doctors and lawyers
Do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do, dum-dum-dum-dum
Yet despite this imperfection
He was clean-looking and respectable-looking
And you'll never find a mother
Who doesn't appreciate a natural man
So he grew healthy aloe vera plants by the window
Healthy teeth in his mouth
Healthy hair on his head, oh
He grew healthy wavy brown hair on his head
The kind, the kind that babies always go for
With sticky little fingers
Do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do, dum-dum-dum-dum
Ah-dum, ah-dum-da-da
The kind of love affair
Which every respectable building must keep as a legend
Slowly festering through an innocent "by the way"
Or "have you heard"
He was perfect except for the fact that he was an engineer
And mothers prefer doctors and lawyers
Do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do, dum-dum-dum-dum
Yet despite this imperfection
He was clean-looking and respectable-looking
And you'll never find a mother
Who doesn't appreciate a natural man
So he grew healthy aloe vera plants by the window
Healthy teeth in his mouth
Healthy hair on his head, oh
He grew healthy wavy brown hair on his head
The kind, the kind that babies always go for
With sticky little fingers
Do-do-do, do-do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do, dum-dum-dum-dum
Ah-dum, ah-dum-da-da
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
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"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.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
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.
What I love about the lyrics is that you're not sure exactly what the affair is etc. I mean, is the mother the mother of the man's lover, or is the MOTHER the lover? And whose is the child? Is it his, or another man's (the man who made the mother the mother).
I don't know about the child, but I reckon it's the mother who's having the affair - "you'll never find a mother who doesn't appreciate a natural man."
what i think - daughter brought home man. man was an engineer - mother didn't like that and didn't think he was good enough for daughter. man was "healthy" and "natural" - mother appreciated THAT. mother becomes attracted to man and has an affair with daughter's lover; or, man.
:]
In response to newsies234's comment, I don't think that the affair was necessarily a happy one. It wasn't that the building wanted the affair as a legend, but it was obligated to have it as a legend. And the term "respectable" (as in "every respectable building") is kind of in quotes to me. Like it doesn't make the building respectable, it just makes it home to juicy gossip. And since it's called a "love affair", it has something of an illicit connotation (to me, at least).
Anyway, all I know about this song is that there was a love affair in a building, and people are talking, and he's a good looking man, and someone's mother has some sort of role or opinion. I like this song because it's leaves so many holes. The song itself represents gossip to me. Albeit in a very catchy manner.
And I always thought it was "an innocent by-the-wayer", a by-the-wayer being someone who happened to say "by the way" a lot. Then the by-the-wayer is saying, "Have you heard?..." So perhaps it would be more appropriate to call the by-the-wayer a have-you-hearder. Um...
mmmm. Regina Spektor is so friggin amazing. I wish all her albums were released and ready for me to buy. She has such witty lyrics and great music.
Regina Spektor is amazing. I can't get enough of Soviet Kitsch. I love this song.
This song reminds me of Fiona Apple for some reason, I love it.
Corrections about the lyric
I've always tought that it was 'ware' and not 'way'... As if the news about the love affair is spreading all around the building and that it's first class-gossip around the ware. I also think that the "Have you heard? He was perfect..." is a quate from the converations at the ware.
No. It's definitely "by the way."
I think it might sound like "ware" because the word "or" is right after "way", and she kinda blends them together.
i think she says "wire" ... as in the story grows through gossip. maybe?