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.
She feels the ground is giving way
But she thinks we're better off that way
The more you take the less you feel
The less you know the more you believe
The more you have the more it takes today
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
Well she doesn't care what it's worth
She's living like it's the last night on earth
The last night on earth
She's not waiting on a savior to come
She's at a bus stop with the News of the World
And the Sun
Sun here it comes
She's not waiting for anyone
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
Well she knows just what it's worth
She's living like it's the last night on earth
Last night on earth
Slipping away
Slip slide
Too many slipping away
The world turns and we get dizzy
Slipping away
She's living, living next week now
You know she's gonna to pay you back somehow
She hasn't been to bed in a week
She'll be dead soon, then she'll sleep
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
She already knows it hurts
She's living like it's the last night on earth
The last night on earth
Last night on earth
Last night on earth
But she thinks we're better off that way
The more you take the less you feel
The less you know the more you believe
The more you have the more it takes today
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
Well she doesn't care what it's worth
She's living like it's the last night on earth
The last night on earth
She's not waiting on a savior to come
She's at a bus stop with the News of the World
And the Sun
Sun here it comes
She's not waiting for anyone
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
Well she knows just what it's worth
She's living like it's the last night on earth
Last night on earth
Slipping away
Slip slide
Too many slipping away
The world turns and we get dizzy
Slipping away
She's living, living next week now
You know she's gonna to pay you back somehow
She hasn't been to bed in a week
She'll be dead soon, then she'll sleep
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
You gotta give it away
She already knows it hurts
She's living like it's the last night on earth
The last night on earth
Last night on earth
Last night on earth
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
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think this song is about a girl that does drugs who has lost control of her life. "the more you take the less you feel" "slipping away... slip slide... the world turns and we get dizzy slipping away" Also notice shes at a bus stop as the sun is coming up, I kinda took that as she was out all night getting fucked up. Shes not waiting for a saviour to come - no need for religion when your life is a blur. My favorite part of the song might be "she hasn't been to bed in a week, she'll be dead soon, then she'll sleep"
I haven't heard any statements made by U2 as to what this song could be a reference to or what it's about, but this is kind of the picture that plays in my mind when I hear it.
When I was about 14 or 15 and bought the "Pop" album, my first impression was "this is a song about a girl giving up her virginity", but now, at 22, I think it has a bit of a deeper meaning than just that.
I don't think it's literally about a girl doing drugs either. To me, this song is about a girl who sees the world in a way that other people don't. She sees behind the bullshit. She knows better than to wait for a fairytale and she knows that life isn't everlasting. Because she understands, on a deep level, that she won't live forever, she spends every second making life count...so much that it becomes just a blur. She won't wait around for anyone, she wants life so much that she's afraid to miss a second of it. She knows what life is worth. Instead of the common interpretation that this girl is destroying her life, I think the girl in the song is trying to live so hard-core that she's missing a lot of the things that make life special.
She wants to make so much out of her life (living like it's the last night on Earth) that she's neglecting to take care of herself properly. I get the impression that this person is just so caught up with the act of living that they lost track of how to keep themselves together.
what is the deal with all the capitalization?
im fairly certain this song is about a person who acts like its their last night on earth...not too tricky to figure out
Politicians and media make everyone feel like living in reality- but we´re not.
She´s livin like its the last night on earth... she doesnt care what is worth... its just because this world is fake, it´s all a lie, all a movie...
Only she knows it, and she tries to live and receive happiness over this.
i think it could mean that this chick is sleeping around, giving her virginity and love away and "doesn't care what its's worth." waddya rekon?
"the future is so predictable the past is too uncomfortable"
should be "she hasn't been to bed in a week, she'll be dead soon, then she'll sleep" I think
Could this song be about the church?
Wow, however gave the lyrics sucks at lyric giving
But anyway this is a sweet song and the chorus really pumps me up
all i know is that the video is pretty weird lolz.