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.
Please don't be technology
So I can turn up your love like some cold machine
Don't feed me scraps from your bed
I won't be the stray coming back just to be fed
I'll be wait
Come and seal the fate, Marie
Just pretend that you want me
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my
Well don't be that note I can't hold
Well don't be that joke that I told and told 'til it got old
Don't be that hand 'round my throat so I can't breath
Say you're my friend but why won't you be my family?
And if you break
Just don't tell me
To be my babe
To be my dream
Tell me you know what I mean
(Prove me wrong)
You set on me but, you are not the sun
You are not the sun
(How do they know where I am?)
(Burn it down)
Outside your cold lips again
You set on me but, you are not the sun
You are not the sun
You are not the sun
So let's pretend that you love me
And be my bait
To be my bait
So I can turn up your love like some cold machine
Don't feed me scraps from your bed
I won't be the stray coming back just to be fed
I'll be wait
Come and seal the fate, Marie
Just pretend that you want me
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my babe
To be my
Well don't be that note I can't hold
Well don't be that joke that I told and told 'til it got old
Don't be that hand 'round my throat so I can't breath
Say you're my friend but why won't you be my family?
And if you break
Just don't tell me
To be my babe
To be my dream
Tell me you know what I mean
(Prove me wrong)
You set on me but, you are not the sun
You are not the sun
(How do they know where I am?)
(Burn it down)
Outside your cold lips again
You set on me but, you are not the sun
You are not the sun
You are not the sun
So let's pretend that you love me
And be my bait
To be my bait
Lyrics submitted by mmilian, edited by Masato0h, Yoshi445, superjuper27, zach100004, contraddiction, myguyry
Not the Sun Lyrics as written by Vincent Accardi Jesse Lacey
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
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Lyrics taken from Brand New's own site:
Please don't be technology Cause I can't turn off your love Like some cold machine
Don’t feed me scraps from your bed And I won't be the stray coming back Just to be fed
Don’t be waves Come to seal my fate, marine Just pretend That you want me And be my babe
Don’t be that note I can't hold Don’t be that joke that I told And told Till it got old Don’t be that hand around my throat So I can't breathe You say you're my friend But why won't you be my family?
Well, if you breed Just don't tell me
Be my babe.
Be my serene Tell me you know what I mean You’ve set on me but you are not the sun And you will not listen
Yeah I think Jesse is telling a girl she needs to realize she isn't God's gift to earth... You're not the sun. You're not the center of the universe. You aren't really that great at all.
This song is about a girl who he is friends with benefits with who means more to him then he does to her. she keeps coming in waves, he keeps coming back just to be fed scraps. He takes whatever he can get from her because its better than nothing. hes so sick of how he just keeps coming back to her.. shes a joke he told and told till it got old. Then I think there is a final proposition, that says,, be my babe be my family, for good this time.. you know, my cherie. his only. but, i think in the end she turns him down. and he realizes, he doesnt need her anymore, she is not worth his time. the only way to get over her is to realize she is shallow and selfish and not this perfect version of her that he has created. hence.. you have set on me but you are not the sun.
.. she is no longer the center of his life, of his love, of his energy.
burn it down
The lyrics are 100% "be my babe" (not bait or bane or whatever else), and "be my serene, tell me you know what I mean". (not be my dream, or It has both of those lines on the hand-written lyric sheet that came with the vinyl.
sethasaurus is right, the bridge is
You Set On Me But You are not the sun You are not the sun
Be my bane makes more sense to the song.
I didn't even realize that it might have something to do with Untitled 1. I don't think that this is the case, as brand new never formally released that song.
The sun is the centre of the solar system. Everything revolves around it. That's the meaning of the song, IMHO, and BN is trying to say that this person isn't the sun, they don't have the world revolving around them, and, at the same time, don't need to take on the responsibility of being the sun. Louis XIV was named the Sun King, because he believed the world revolved around him.
I totally agree that it's "I'm outside and growing roots again." I've listened to it thousands of times and I've always thought that's what it said. It makes sense with the context. He's out in the world, growing roots, finding a secure place, and 'you are not the sun' because, clearly, he is growing, which could not happen in the absence of the sun.
"If you breed, just don't tell me." makes more sense to me. I haven't read all the replies, I have no idea if I'm being repetitive, so that being said...
He wants the girl to love him. "Don't be waves," like don't come & go, just "seal my fate, marine", like just envelop him completely, and stay. He wants her completely, unconditionally, and if she "breeds" with another, he doesn't want to know, he just wants her to "pretend" that she loves him. This song just hit me so hard today, and it happens to be exactly what I'm feeling, haha. I love it so much.
I think it's "To be my bait."
And it's also makes the most sense in my interpretation to the song, which goes along with the entire album. I think this song is about a girl (Luca) chasing him and he's just not sure. "You've set on my, but you are not the sun." Meaning you're after me but you're not the one. And then he gives in in Luca and she turns out she's dirty and it was all wrong just like he thought, leading to his epiphany and finally finding the place where God wanted him to be, and learning from the mistakes.
Oh, and btw, I'm looking at the song from the perceptive of Luca, not Jesse or whoever you want to believe is in the story, and when it hits the "be my serene" part it switches perspectives.
and "outside your cold lips again" is wrong.
The line is actually "I'm outside and growing roots again"
Woah! You're totally right!