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.
tied this letter to a red balloon
flew this letter off across the rooves
along with all the plans i made
over crippled cranes and twisted steel
deadlines overgrown and missing wheels
a 'told you so' communique
told you so
the biggest of mistakes can be forgiven
but a snowball of little white lies will crush your house
from the razor wire an oily rag
and it's what you made the nation's flag
pray you never sleep again
oh and laughable the crying shame
oh the mark i made against your name
i hope this finds you less than sane
told you so
for you to think that history's rewritten
you'd have to think the dead will be forgotten
your snowball of little white lies has crushed our house
when the pills you take
no longer help you
fading in your garden chair
a hundred and two
you'll see the light dim
you'll lose the birdsong
you'll hear the voices you've been holding off for so long
buzzing 'round you
and then a hurricane
a hundred thousand souls
and every one in pain
they'll come and visit you
we'll come and visit you
never sleep again
flew this letter off across the rooves
along with all the plans i made
over crippled cranes and twisted steel
deadlines overgrown and missing wheels
a 'told you so' communique
told you so
the biggest of mistakes can be forgiven
but a snowball of little white lies will crush your house
from the razor wire an oily rag
and it's what you made the nation's flag
pray you never sleep again
oh and laughable the crying shame
oh the mark i made against your name
i hope this finds you less than sane
told you so
for you to think that history's rewritten
you'd have to think the dead will be forgotten
your snowball of little white lies has crushed our house
when the pills you take
no longer help you
fading in your garden chair
a hundred and two
you'll see the light dim
you'll lose the birdsong
you'll hear the voices you've been holding off for so long
buzzing 'round you
and then a hurricane
a hundred thousand souls
and every one in pain
they'll come and visit you
we'll come and visit you
never sleep again
Lyrics submitted by Songmeaningsuser
Snowball Lyrics as written by Mark Ellis Potter Guy Edward John Garvey
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Well, look at this one: From the razor wire in old Iraq Oil is what you make the nation's flag Obviously Elbow are once again showing their anti iraq war views. But I can't figure the rest out.
the rest is probably about how the victims of the war will come back to haunt bush/blair long after they've retired from office. the best line is about how all the political "white lies" used to justify the war result in the destruction of civilians' lives and homes.
I thought that maybe this song was used to highlight all the things currently wrong in the world (such as war and desperation for oil) but also has a much deeper meaning, perhaps about being lied to by a close friend and knowing that you can never really forgive them for it. I'm not really sure though, but it is an absolutely gorgeous song :)
This is my transcription, which I posted on the message board of one of the more-frequented Elbow fansites not long after the Help album was released in 2005. Seems like it soon spread to all the lyric sites.
Guy Garvey said in an interview around the time that the song 'Leaders of the Free World' was like a clip round the ear for the crooked politicians taking us into wars that only benefit them and their big business bedfellows. He said he was so angry at them that it seemed better to belittle them than attack them. I think all that anger with them comes out in this song. I particularly like the ideas about the presence of their victims following them around and haunting them until their dying days. Pray you never sleep again.