I can't get to sleep
I think about the implications
Of diving in too deep
And possibly the complications

Especially at night
I worry over situations
I know will be alright
Perhaps it's just imagination

Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away

Alone between the sheets
Only brings exasperation
It's time to walk the streets
Smell the desperation

At least there's pretty lights
And though there's little variation
It nullifies the night from overkill

Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away
Come back another day

I can't get to sleep
I think about the implications
Of diving in too deep
And possibly the complications

Especially at night
I worry over situations
I know will be alright
It's just overkill

Day after day it reappears
Night after night my heartbeat shows the fear
Ghosts appear and fade away
Ghosts appear and fade away
Ghosts appear and fade away


Lyrics submitted by BlueAndStarry

Overkill [Acoustic Version] Lyrics as written by Colin James Hay

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Overkill song meanings
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31 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    I adore this song. It's so simple and easy, and quite beautiful.

    zen_childon December 05, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song comes to mind almost every night when i can't sleep and things are on my mind. colin hay has a way of summing things up in such a simple way and its beautiful

    littlewingon January 10, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i love the fact that this guy is on scrubs so much

    delacroix192on May 04, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    what i get from this song, someone thinks about stuff to much(when they sleep)whatever it may be.. they over analyze things, thinking of every possible thing that can go wrong, even though they know the situation will turn out ok. And it scares them because its a reoccuring thing

    FuryofFiveon May 03, 2007   Link
  • +1
    Song Fact

    Colin Hay wrote this song and explained that "It was a song about what was happening at the time, the experience we were going through of stepping into the unknown. It's about having a fear about that, but also knowing that what was going to happen was inevitable. Leaving behind where you are and stepping into something which is out of your control to some degree. That's what it felt like at the time." "And its also a relationship with a person or a relationship with a place. He was living in St. Kilda, which is part of Melbourne, and felt he was going to leave there soon. Said Colin, "It's about leaving somewhere and leaving your comfort zone. You spend a lot of years trying to get something - fame or recognition or getting to a certain point, and then when you actually achieve it, there's always a certain amount of fear that comes with that, a sense of loss of control, because all of the sudden you're not in control of a situation any more, there's other people involved, it gets bigger and bigger with much more stress."

    billyhon January 03, 2021   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i went home this christmas and every night some was eating at me inside ... basically this song pin ointed my x mas break. to a t. on the point on a pin

    wilcokidon January 28, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song. It sums up my life.

    burntfireon March 12, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Its so true! I can relate to every word that he sings in this song - it's amazing. Every single word!

    CandyCaton April 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is so wonderful, and was absolutely perfect for the episode of Scrubs that it was on.

    thewordofrashion January 05, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yo delacroix192 when else is colin hay on scrubs except for my overkill?? I love scrubs so much!

    claire16on September 05, 2006   Link

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