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.
In a car on the driveway the conversation's colors paint themselves on canvas
White lies and motivation, we're standing oh so honestly
I'm surprised it didn't hurt your eyes
I think that "I" is the only word in your vocabulary tonight
Those same brown eyes stare straight ahead
And I shut my hand in your door
And I looked around for a lifeline
Well I would rather have a broken arm
Than have my arms around you
Well I would rather have a broken arm
Than have my arms around you
It took a minute or two to gather all my neurotic thoughts
Before I started to talk way too loud
Loudly I thought to myself "God, how do I find myself here again and again"
My same black eyes stare straight ahead as
I took my time with a ciggarette
Fair enough I'm still in love with the false hope of us stabbed inside my chest
Let me tell you all about it
'Cause I would rather have a punctured lung
Than waste my breath on you
Well I would rather have a punctured lung
Than waste my breath on you
Although my dear
I would rather have a broken hart
Than give up hope on you
Well I would rather have a broken heart
Than give up hope on you
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
Oh, got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
White lies and motivation, we're standing oh so honestly
I'm surprised it didn't hurt your eyes
I think that "I" is the only word in your vocabulary tonight
Those same brown eyes stare straight ahead
And I shut my hand in your door
And I looked around for a lifeline
Well I would rather have a broken arm
Than have my arms around you
Well I would rather have a broken arm
Than have my arms around you
It took a minute or two to gather all my neurotic thoughts
Before I started to talk way too loud
Loudly I thought to myself "God, how do I find myself here again and again"
My same black eyes stare straight ahead as
I took my time with a ciggarette
Fair enough I'm still in love with the false hope of us stabbed inside my chest
Let me tell you all about it
'Cause I would rather have a punctured lung
Than waste my breath on you
Well I would rather have a punctured lung
Than waste my breath on you
Although my dear
I would rather have a broken hart
Than give up hope on you
Well I would rather have a broken heart
Than give up hope on you
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
Oh, got all the time that we need
We've got all the time that we need
Lyrics submitted by you_coconut
I'd Rather Have Lyrics as written by Andy Hull
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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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.
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
He obviously doesn't want to get back together with the girl. However, there's always that feeling of 'hope' [that he mentions a few times] that maybe she will treat him better -- it seems as though she had devastated him when they broke up. He knows that deep inside he still loves her, and if she's ready to get back together with him, then he'd accept it. That's why he'd "rather have a broken heart than give up hope on you".
he would rather endure terrible things than be with her, but he would rather have a broken heart than be without her.
When ever someone you love hurts you, you feel like you could hate them forever. Until you realize you couldn't really live with out them. So yes, while you are broken up, you would have a "broken arm" but in the end you would rather be with them.
To me it feels like he's in love with someone, but they're incredibly selfish ("I think that "I" is the only word in your vocabulary tonight"), and he's coming to this realization and becoming angry (coping with the break-up or breaking-up). ("Loudly I thought to myself "God, how do I find myself here again and again") But, still, he really loves her. Even if you're hurt by someone, you can still care, and you still have feelings for them, so he would "rather have a broken heart" and wait for her to come back to him and for things to fix themselves than "give up hope on [her]" and he's willing to wait as long as he has to. ("We've got all the time that we need")