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.
Eyes wide mine, suddenly everything
Flies by fine, mind goes on holiday
In its stead, clicking along the curb
Clucking tongues how could they have the nerve
There is hardly a method you know
It's a broken poem, started up yesterday
And it came true now, mind was on holiday
It's an open road will we soon see the end
It's an open book, a story to tell the band
There is hardly a method you know
It's a storm faced cloud, hanging in dystrophy
It's a cold, base clown laughing at enemies
It's a rough wild world could you please chaperone
It's a mind field trip, oh leave it the fuck alone
This is hardly the method you know
There's a purple pain strangling yesterday
There's a purple stain spattered on interstates
It's an awkward stage grasping at anything
'Cause it's lost the page
Can't find a word to say
But they want you to
Oh they want you to
Yes they want you too
Oh they want you, too
Broken plates on dirty highways
Pave the way for alien grace
There is hardly a method you know
Flies by fine, mind goes on holiday
In its stead, clicking along the curb
Clucking tongues how could they have the nerve
There is hardly a method you know
It's a broken poem, started up yesterday
And it came true now, mind was on holiday
It's an open road will we soon see the end
It's an open book, a story to tell the band
There is hardly a method you know
It's a storm faced cloud, hanging in dystrophy
It's a cold, base clown laughing at enemies
It's a rough wild world could you please chaperone
It's a mind field trip, oh leave it the fuck alone
This is hardly the method you know
There's a purple pain strangling yesterday
There's a purple stain spattered on interstates
It's an awkward stage grasping at anything
'Cause it's lost the page
Can't find a word to say
But they want you to
Oh they want you to
Yes they want you too
Oh they want you, too
Broken plates on dirty highways
Pave the way for alien grace
There is hardly a method you know
Lyrics submitted by prayingmantis84
A Method Lyrics as written by David Andrew Sitek Babatunde Omoroga Adebimpe
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
i think this is about the creation of art and artistic inspiration... about how there is no 'method' for it and it cant be forced, it just has to come to you that what i think anyway
I'm a storm faced cloud, hanging in dystrophy I'm a cold, base clown laughing at enemies
i think it's "minefield trip"
i think it's "minefield trip"
I wish I knew what these lyrics meant.
With the atmosphere it seems like a marching ghost.
I copied them straight out of the booklet. I doubt I could have come up with "mind field trip" on my own, to be honest.
i dont really know what the lyrics mean but the melody is wonderful
Artistic process is the theme I was feeling, too. Obviously, I'm not certain how everything plays into it, but here are some guesses.
Obviously, the whole method thing is artistic process; there being no formula. The first two lines (suddenly everything flies by fine, mind goes on holiday) is that feeling you get when, god this sounds cheesy, but you really just feel whatever it is you're doing, whether it's music, or writing, or anything. It comes out.
I don't understand the curb thing, but clucking tongues, how could they have the nerve seems to be about the gall it takes to criticize other people's art.
I'm not gonna write anymore, but I think that's the basis for some discussion, hopefully.
What about the more obvious interpretation: Bad wreck. Friend dies. What to say to their family? This sucks.
I agree with Jiffy. It sounds like he's playing with words trying to talk about a car wreck.
I don't find TVOTR arrogant enough to write a song about their own artistic process, though I may be completely wrong.
They encored with this song live, and Subtle played along with them. Kyp handed my friend standing next to me two sticks to clack together during it. Simply fucking awesome.