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.
Off to the funeral making cola knots
We sit and reminisce about the past
And in her voice only sadness her only son taken from her
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
Second generation blues or points of view not listened to
Different worlds and different rules of allegiance
Clinging to her Bible and her scapular
And the memory of the way things were
I do not see hope I cannot smile
I burn with anger all the time
We all read what they did to the black boy
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
Where is it?
Where is home?
Where is it?
Where is home?
I walk this mountain tired of lunity and belligerence
This told me what a flat wave is getting me down
I want to stamp on the face of every young policeman today
And break the fingers of every old judge to cut off the feet of every ballerina I can
So I decide
I decide
I pretend that there's nothing wrong
The teeth of this world take me home and every day
I must ask myself, where, where, where
Where is it?
Where is home?
Where is it?
Where is home?
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
We sit and reminisce about the past
And in her voice only sadness her only son taken from her
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
Second generation blues or points of view not listened to
Different worlds and different rules of allegiance
Clinging to her Bible and her scapular
And the memory of the way things were
I do not see hope I cannot smile
I burn with anger all the time
We all read what they did to the black boy
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
Where is it?
Where is home?
Where is it?
Where is home?
I walk this mountain tired of lunity and belligerence
This told me what a flat wave is getting me down
I want to stamp on the face of every young policeman today
And break the fingers of every old judge to cut off the feet of every ballerina I can
So I decide
I decide
I pretend that there's nothing wrong
The teeth of this world take me home and every day
I must ask myself, where, where, where
Where is it?
Where is home?
Where is it?
Where is home?
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
In every headline we are reminded that this is not home for us
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
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
This another one of Bloc Party's songs that is about the black race. The song is describing how badly treated some black people wtill are and that they have no home as some places they are kicked out of. The lines "I want to stamp on the face of every young policeman, To break the fingers of every old judge" suggest that even the law sometimes has things against black people. If more people listened closely to Bloc Party's songs, they could always tell that they are expressing some very strong points, mostly political.
wow... so true.<br /> i see it now.
Actually the song was written after the highly publiscised a stabbing of a British Nigerian kid who was family friends with Kele. (Kele is a second generation Nigerian who grew up in Britain)
It's about the racism that Kele and others have experienced throughout their lives. As a second-generation Nigerian he neither belongs here nor there, "This is not home for us."
Ironic, no? That when there is an incident with anyone who isn't caucasian there is an automatic reference to their ethnicity in the papers. It's always an African-American or a man of Middle Eastern appearance.
Are points of you not listen to (?) This is actually "Are points of view not listened to"
I can't help but feel like a patronising, opinionated bastard on this website...so here goes.
The and third verse are about the death of an older female relative, the singer's connection to 'the past' i.e. the first generation immigrant's to Britain (although no specific country is mentioned explicitly)
The chorus throughout deals with the singer's and from my experience, most second generation minority group's problem of identity. Being aligned with two, often very separate ideologies and values. "Clinging to her bible and her scapular", "Different worlds and different rules"
(Referencing this back to myself again, sorry) The lines "We all learn, what they did To the black race" reminds me of learning about the holocaust in school, being Jewish, there was a certain awkwardness which I felt. The causal, often unknowing racism which I encountered whilst being taught about this was a marked contrast with the way which the holocaust was talked about at home.
"I want to stamp on the face of every young policeman To break the fingers of every old judge To cut off the feet of every ballerina" - This verse seems to have come from nowhere, but the singer is articulating the inarticulate hate he he "burn[s] with...all the time".
And someone else can do the rest. I think I've gone a bit ott here.
I think the bit about hurting the polics is about police intitutional racism
The album came out This past Tuesday...
Anna Nicole Smith died, yesterday, two days later, this Thursday.
Upon listening to the song it imediately hit me, these lyrics are insanely identical to what Anna Nicole experienced in the last 5 months of her life. For those who do not know, her 20 yr old son, Daniel died of heart complications 5 months ago, and 3 DAYS after her new baby girl came into the world. What else could these lyrics be written about but her sons death and the consequential publicity parade?
Birth and Death...coming and going...Where is Home anyway?
its about kele's cousin who was stabbed to death in london, over a racial argument.:). "what they did to the black boy" and his anger over the situation
Yup, from last month's Guardian interview:
"The words to 'Where is Home?' begin at the funeral of Christopher Alaneme, the black teenager stabbed in small-town Kent last April. Okereke describes him as a cousin, although they weren't related by blood; their mums, both Nigerian, were very good friends. Okereke says that ultimately the song is about the fostering, by right-wing newspapers, of a fear of 'The Other'. That is, black youth in hoodies. And how that then means opportunities denied."
Is the line, 'To cut off the feet of every ballerina' not referring to the English ballerina, Simone Clarke, who, it was recently discovered, is on the British National Party's membership list?
The song was written before the ballerina thing. And, yes, it is about being from a minority ethnic group in this society. And the fear of 'the other'.