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.
Another day breaks and the last one's gone
You dig deep just to carry on
Your debt's paid off but it don't feel gone
So you slip out the back and you're moving on, yeah
I can never figure out how to make a case
That this don't amount to a fall from grace
She wants to know can I replace
This tired wool with satin lace
Says you're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Put it in the past, put it in the past
If this is a race then I hope you come last
You're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Pressure builds 'til it breaks the door
You can build a house you can't build a home
And it's a fool who believes love is bred in the bone
And there're no guarantees that you won't get stoned
Yeah, I'm a fool who believed love is bred in the bone
And there're no guarantees that I won't get stoned
Says you're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Put it in the past, put it in the past
If this is a race then I hope you come last
You're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
I don't know where it leads, oh no
All I know
Is that I don't wanna breathe this chemical breeze no more
So another day breaks and the last one's gone
You dig deep just to carry on
Your debt's paid off but it don't feel gone
So you slip out the back and you're moving on
Says you're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Put it in the past, put it in the past
If this is a race then I hope you come last
You're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Yeah, you're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Put it in the past, put it in the past
If this is a race then I hope you come last
You're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
You dig deep just to carry on
Your debt's paid off but it don't feel gone
So you slip out the back and you're moving on, yeah
I can never figure out how to make a case
That this don't amount to a fall from grace
She wants to know can I replace
This tired wool with satin lace
Says you're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Put it in the past, put it in the past
If this is a race then I hope you come last
You're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Pressure builds 'til it breaks the door
You can build a house you can't build a home
And it's a fool who believes love is bred in the bone
And there're no guarantees that you won't get stoned
Yeah, I'm a fool who believed love is bred in the bone
And there're no guarantees that I won't get stoned
Says you're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Put it in the past, put it in the past
If this is a race then I hope you come last
You're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
I don't know where it leads, oh no
All I know
Is that I don't wanna breathe this chemical breeze no more
So another day breaks and the last one's gone
You dig deep just to carry on
Your debt's paid off but it don't feel gone
So you slip out the back and you're moving on
Says you're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Put it in the past, put it in the past
If this is a race then I hope you come last
You're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Yeah, you're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Put it in the past, put it in the past
If this is a race then I hope you come last
You're on a bridge to nowhere and you're gettin' there fast
Lyrics submitted by Lake Fever
Bridge to Nowhere Lyrics as written by Sam Lewis Roberts
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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WOOT first one to comment lol...anyways i really like this song and i really like this new CD. I think the meaning of this song is, as the title suggests, leading a life going nowhere. No matter where you're going you're not going anywhere at all, if you know wut i mean. What do u other people think?
what a good song! It fits the Sam Roberts vibe...just dying to live a meaningful, happy life, and trying to get away from whatever's weighing you down. The vid's really good too!
I love it when he says "if this is a race then i hope you come last"...I don't really know what it means but i figure it's almost like, angst on the part of the person who's following the bridge to nowhere towards the girl who's saying that he's leading a meaningless life. It's like, he's saying that even though it's meaningless now, it doesn't mean it's gonna be like that forever ("put it in the past, put it in the past"). And it's almost like she's putting him down by telling him that his life is not going anywhere, so he's telling her, since you think you've got it so together now, i hope you really lose it and "come last" in whatever it is you're racing for.
oh! when i said the part about angst...i mean that the angst is felt towards the girl who's saying that he's leading a meaningless life, not that the bridge leads to her.
I saw sam play this song live at the festival lights and i got hooked... Its a damn good song and hes a hell of a preformer... if u get the chance go see him.. the song describes those times when you cant keep up with eevrything going on and you dont know what to do
omg i just saw sam roberts live last night. so amazing. the crowd went crazy when this song was played. not my personal fav of sam but still awesome song.
I think this song is about forgivness, She and he have had a disagreement, and neither are willing to apologise for it. Time passes, but it wont be put in the past, as if hes on a bridge of love/hate and going no were fast. This song tells you to forgive, because lifes to short to hold a grudge.
I think mayby this song is about a dude whos girlfriend possibly pissed him off and he is debating on breaking up with her. and he is trying to forgive her but, just can't and thinks their relationship is going nowhere. and he still has a grudge from her possibly cheaing on him and that is what he might not be able to forgive her for.
My fav song by Sam Roberts. It's very catchy and just a cool song.
I think this song is about running away from something unpleasant in your past. Running away from it blindly is following the "bridge to nowhere". And if you're headed to nowhere then you'd rather "come last". His friend is telling him to "put it in the past" and keep on living but he's trying to "slip out the back" and go elsewhere. When the song goes "She wants to know can I replace/This tired wool with satin lace", it's his friend telling him he should make a fresh start with a better look at life. And the line that goes "no guarantees that I won't get stoned" is about being aware that life isn't all roses, but you should keep going anyways.
I think its about crack addiction, but im pretty sure he was never a crack addict. "i dont wanna breathe this chemical breeze no more" means he doesnt wanna smoke crack anymore. The bridge to nowhere is a reference to where the addiction is going to lead you... which in this case is nowhere. The rest of the lyrics fall into place with this. "If this is a race then I hope you come last" his gf or whoever saying this to him, who is basically saying he is treating his addicition like a race, and at the end he will die which is why his gf wants him to come last.
Smog, city life. Chemical breeze would not refer to drugs. A breeze is something that comes from around you.
i really like this song, it reminds me of those scenes in movies where some girl is in a car in the summer, her hair blowing in the wind, sad because she has to move away or something like that. haha.