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.
Who's the weakest now?
Caught up in the wire
I'm already gone
Who's the weakest now?
It's the grey days that
I'll remember the most
It's the grey times in the water
Before morning
I won't be alone
Think of me at night
Send my love to home
I'll be alright
It's the grey days that
I'll remember the most
It's the grey times in the water
Before morning
And it's only tonight that
I'll be able to leave
And it's only the weak
That cry for me in morning
Because tonight there will be no sleep
Tonight it comes for me
Please, help them understand
I've become the voices in the fan
Goodbye
Caught up in the wire
I'm already gone
Who's the weakest now?
It's the grey days that
I'll remember the most
It's the grey times in the water
Before morning
I won't be alone
Think of me at night
Send my love to home
I'll be alright
It's the grey days that
I'll remember the most
It's the grey times in the water
Before morning
And it's only tonight that
I'll be able to leave
And it's only the weak
That cry for me in morning
Because tonight there will be no sleep
Tonight it comes for me
Please, help them understand
I've become the voices in the fan
Goodbye
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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.
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
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
"Some and now none of you"
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"
Holiday
Bee Gees
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday".
I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I think he's telling someone he loves that he's running away from everything (I won't be alone Think of me at night Send my love to home I'll be alright)
Definitely about departure of some kind, maybe even death. He's telling someone that he will be leaving in the night, and only weak people will be crying about his leaving.
I'm leaning towards the song being about death, probably suicide. It's most hinted at in: 'Tonight it comes for me Please, help them understand '
The person in the song is about to commit suicide and doesn't want anyone to mourn for them. They will become a 'voice in a fan', e.g. a fleeting ghost or spirit. They won't be alone because so many before have also died, so he won't be alone in death.
With the goodbye he is ending his words or suicide letter.
A depressing yet beautiful song...
Devin Townsend said he used to fantasize about being abducted by aliens...in the same way some people would want to kill themselves to stop experiencing pain and suffering in this life, he wished he could be the special chosen one to be taken away from this place. Voices is one of a few songs that address this topic.
From his autobiography, he said this was inspired by his experience at the recording studio he was working in - he was sober at the time and had never done drugs, and this was his experience of viewing that world from the outside watching people have strange experiences and paranoia high on all sorts. However I too see it as a sort of death / suicide song, and he himself prescribes to the collective unconsciousness vibe of artistic creation - so I say take whatever you want from the meaning, his lyrics are always really interpretive anyway :)