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.
Look at the kid from school
He's teaching mamas and papas how to be a little cool
He's changing fashion, the way he dress
The tracksuits are old, and the hoody's way too moody
For a kid with the will to funk
He dances in secret; he's a part-time punk
She's getting off the plane
She wants to write a thesis on the population underprivileged
The kids fighting up the lane
Shop lifting, just drifting
Like The Switchblade And The Cross
But if there's trouble she's got the moves
She's taking an elementary class in Kung fu
I left my washing in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my washing
The black will be grey and the white will be grey
But the blues are still blue
I'm crying out for my mum
If the malady don't go away we're in a little trouble
With the boss of the company
I'm a singer, a swinger I'm a layabout but laying on
The dock in the lazy sun
Will never quite relegate me to a bum
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But The Blues Are Still Blue
Baby, I love your face
I've been creeping round this town because?
Well, creeping's just my way
But with a little wink I'll be there
I'll be excited for a week, but then excitement starts to fade
I know your young, but you're out of touch
You're French, your vocabulary's not quite formed
I left my homework in the launderette
I got a letter from my mamma which my stoopid dog has ate
I hid behind the fence
Here comes the deputy head with the bark of a bulldog
He's not making much sense
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But the blues are still blue?
He's teaching mamas and papas how to be a little cool
He's changing fashion, the way he dress
The tracksuits are old, and the hoody's way too moody
For a kid with the will to funk
He dances in secret; he's a part-time punk
She's getting off the plane
She wants to write a thesis on the population underprivileged
The kids fighting up the lane
Shop lifting, just drifting
Like The Switchblade And The Cross
But if there's trouble she's got the moves
She's taking an elementary class in Kung fu
I left my washing in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my washing
The black will be grey and the white will be grey
But the blues are still blue
I'm crying out for my mum
If the malady don't go away we're in a little trouble
With the boss of the company
I'm a singer, a swinger I'm a layabout but laying on
The dock in the lazy sun
Will never quite relegate me to a bum
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But The Blues Are Still Blue
Baby, I love your face
I've been creeping round this town because?
Well, creeping's just my way
But with a little wink I'll be there
I'll be excited for a week, but then excitement starts to fade
I know your young, but you're out of touch
You're French, your vocabulary's not quite formed
I left my homework in the launderette
I got a letter from my mamma which my stoopid dog has ate
I hid behind the fence
Here comes the deputy head with the bark of a bulldog
He's not making much sense
I left my lady in the launderette
You can put some money on it, you can place a little bet
That when I see my lady
The black will be white and the white will be black
But the blues are still blue?
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Light Up The Sky
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Standing On The Edge Of Summer
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
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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."
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."
No Surprises
Radiohead
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
i find the chorus of this song sticks the most.
I left my washing in the launderette You can put some money on it You can place a little bet That when I see my washing The black will be grey And the white will be grey But the blues are still blue
his washing = his problems, leaving them for a while - sometimes makes what was once black and white (clearcut) go grey and the lines blur but what makes you sad (blue) will still make you sad.
then you see your loved ones
I left my lady in the launderette You can put some money on it You can place a little bet That when I see my lady The black will be white And the white will be black But the blues are still blue
and instead of going grey, your whole perspective changes, but once again, what makes you blue still makes you blue.
Yeah but you don't know what those clever little tobacco companies are putting into cigars, freewneel.
This song's great. You have to love Belle & Sebastian!
that's a great interpretation rabbitfrank
such a catchy song, and you love it even more when you understand the lyrics.
i am obsessed with this song i love it,, LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GREAT LYRICS GOOD WORK B&S!
I really like the chorus;
I left my lady in the launderette You can put some money on it You can place a little bet That when I see my lady The black will be white And the white will be black But the blues are still blue
I like to think this is about how you can argue with a partner and you'll both swear black is white, or be adamant that some things happened in a completely different way, but you still feel crap - the blues are still blue
i totally read that stuart murdoch was colourblind.
no, i believe that's a different band member.... though who I can't remember, but it's definitely not Stuart.
maybe stuart david was then?
Maybe it's just a song about doing laundry? Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar ...
we think alike