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.
I want to kill this man
but he turned around ran.
I'll kill him with karate that i learned in japan.
He wouldn't see my face, i wouldn't leave a trace
I would'nt use a bullet cause i bullet's a discrace.
Aw, mom, i never though that i was a murdering man
but tonight i'm on my way.
There's this drawer that i know in a house up the road
that's full of things that are easily sold.
When they go out of town i could go and snoop around
and make myself rich off the things i'd found
aw, mom i never thought that i was a stealing man
but tonight i'm on my way.
I was sitting on the bleacher staring at the speaker,
reading his lips but i could not understand.
So i opened up my ears and clearly i could hear
this detailed story all about a grain of sand.
aw, mom i always dremt of being a good listener
so tonight i'm on my way.
There's this kid you gotta meet. He lives across the street.
He's got spirit and heart. We're 10 years apart.
He is up for anything. He can hang with anyone.
He still likes the things we used to think were fun.
aw, mom i never thought that i could have a friend
but tonight i'm on my way.
I'm in love with someone who's as pretty as a flower.
Her life gives me power so i'm buying her a ring
She makes hats with her hands.
she is such an artist.
I'm her biggest fan and i'm teaching her to sing.
aw, mom i never thought that i could love no one
but tonight i'm on my way.
oh, tonight
I'm on my way.
but he turned around ran.
I'll kill him with karate that i learned in japan.
He wouldn't see my face, i wouldn't leave a trace
I would'nt use a bullet cause i bullet's a discrace.
Aw, mom, i never though that i was a murdering man
but tonight i'm on my way.
There's this drawer that i know in a house up the road
that's full of things that are easily sold.
When they go out of town i could go and snoop around
and make myself rich off the things i'd found
aw, mom i never thought that i was a stealing man
but tonight i'm on my way.
I was sitting on the bleacher staring at the speaker,
reading his lips but i could not understand.
So i opened up my ears and clearly i could hear
this detailed story all about a grain of sand.
aw, mom i always dremt of being a good listener
so tonight i'm on my way.
There's this kid you gotta meet. He lives across the street.
He's got spirit and heart. We're 10 years apart.
He is up for anything. He can hang with anyone.
He still likes the things we used to think were fun.
aw, mom i never thought that i could have a friend
but tonight i'm on my way.
I'm in love with someone who's as pretty as a flower.
Her life gives me power so i'm buying her a ring
She makes hats with her hands.
she is such an artist.
I'm her biggest fan and i'm teaching her to sing.
aw, mom i never thought that i could love no one
but tonight i'm on my way.
oh, tonight
I'm on my way.
Lyrics submitted by Jon11
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
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Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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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,
first comment, woohoo!
I like this song. I think it's my favorite on this cd so far. I just like the feel and the way it flows. That is all.
i think this is truely about growing up and changing. it's pretty clear that good old bK has changed a lot since his radish days or even his last album. i think it's a very honest song, and that honesty pours out of it, even in the simple sounding recording.
the first time i heard this song i actually wasnt so into it. after i heard it live though - i fell in love with it - the way ben performs this song (as well as different but the same) is amazing - so full of feeling and with a lot more power chords. you cant help but fall in love with ben all over again :)
This song is amazing! Hes a great lyricist...
I heared this song live before the album came out. I was at a Bright Eyes show and conor begged BK to play this song cuz he thought it was so pretty.
Such a great Kweller song. I like how the song starts off a little random and by the end of the song he goes into "mom i never thought that i could love no one" and somehow creates a more simple and pleasing mood.
The way BK wrote this song was that he was on an airplane, and he took five words (murderer, theif, listener, friend, lover) and wrote a verse about each. I want to start a tradition of people making up their own verses to the same words. That would be cool.
"i'm her biggest fan, and i'm teaching her to sing"
so. friggin. cute. ack!
i love ben kweller!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
that is cool wrapid. this song is so beautiful.
I met my first real boyfriend at a Ben Kweller concert, where he told us how he wrote it on a plane. The boy left the next day for a state far away on a plane. He left a note, saying that he would be back in my hometown in three months, and he just wanted to tell me he thought the world of me. The day he was flying back I played that song for hours and was very happy. It always makes me smile.