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.
It's hard being a man
Living in a garbage pail
My landlady called me up, oh
She tried to hit me with a mop
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more, oh
I can't stand it any more more
But if baby would just come back, it'd be all right
Yeah, if baby would just come back, it would be all right
Come on, baby
I live with thirteen dead cats
A purple dog that wears spats
They're all living out in the hall
And I can't stand it any more
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more
But if baby would just come back, it'd be all right
Oh, if baby would just come back, it would be all right
Be all right, now
Come on, baby
I'm tired of living all alone, yeah
Nobody ever calls me on the phone
But when things are getting better
I just play my music louder
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it, I can't stand it
I can't stand it, I can't stand it ...
Living in a garbage pail
My landlady called me up, oh
She tried to hit me with a mop
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more, oh
I can't stand it any more more
But if baby would just come back, it'd be all right
Yeah, if baby would just come back, it would be all right
Come on, baby
I live with thirteen dead cats
A purple dog that wears spats
They're all living out in the hall
And I can't stand it any more
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more
But if baby would just come back, it'd be all right
Oh, if baby would just come back, it would be all right
Be all right, now
Come on, baby
I'm tired of living all alone, yeah
Nobody ever calls me on the phone
But when things are getting better
I just play my music louder
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it any more more
I can't stand it, I can't stand it
I can't stand it, I can't stand it ...
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
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.
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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”
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
In the second verse, the lyrics are:
"I live with thirteen dead cats, a purple dog who wears spats..."
y'know, i swear lou says "it's hard bein' a man" instead of "before bein' a man"..
Yes, that's what the fellow says<br />
I think shelly is a partner, not a drug, and the "garbage pail" is a metaphor for a cr@ppy apartment and the 13 dead cats and the purple dog in spats is a metaphor for his roommates and/or fellow tenants in the building. Lou is singing of a fellow whose partner dumped his @$$ and so the poor guy is living in a cr@ppy apartment being miserable
I love this song! How are there not any comments? The obvious literal meaning is that he wants his "Shelly" to come back and make everything better. Shelly could possibly also represent a drug that he desires...?
Either way, great song!
I think Shelly is his gay boyfriend... Lou Reed is gay.
Lou Reed is not gay. He has slept with men, but he was married twice and now lives with his girlfriend. He's said he wasn't even bisexual (as most people assume), but that he just got used to it and 'developed a taste for it'. So there.
Like his bestie Bowie, Lou Reed has experimented sexually with guys in the past but now is married to a woman (musician Laurie Anderson)
hello, i was wondering if someone could send me this song... i accidently erased all my songs on my ipod, so... it would make me very happy :)
I e-mailed it to your Hotmail through the address you provided on your profile.
OH CRAP. I didn't realize you wrote this in 2007. Hm. Sorry.