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.
Seventy-four. Seventy-five.
He's getting used to it now,
how each one falls away in that hoary light.
and they are gone, gone from the age,
gone from the guards and their hands.
It's no different today than in years gone by.
And he won't come out alive,
with his hands so thin and white…
Gone. Gone from the page,
and then he is gone from your eyes,
as that splintering wave takes so many lives.
And now your hands are gripping the edge
of such a waste, where every angel looks dead,
every face a lie.
And you won't come out tonight,
with your hands so thin and white, alive…
Seventy-four, seventy-five,
Daddy, come back to me now–
I would beat them away
I would lift you out
I would wash all the cinders from your eyes
And with silver and gold
I would adorn you
I'll let it all come out tonight,
when they pull me out alive.
Alive
He's getting used to it now,
how each one falls away in that hoary light.
and they are gone, gone from the age,
gone from the guards and their hands.
It's no different today than in years gone by.
And he won't come out alive,
with his hands so thin and white…
Gone. Gone from the page,
and then he is gone from your eyes,
as that splintering wave takes so many lives.
And now your hands are gripping the edge
of such a waste, where every angel looks dead,
every face a lie.
And you won't come out tonight,
with your hands so thin and white, alive…
Seventy-four, seventy-five,
Daddy, come back to me now–
I would beat them away
I would lift you out
I would wash all the cinders from your eyes
And with silver and gold
I would adorn you
I'll let it all come out tonight,
when they pull me out alive.
Alive
Lyrics submitted by wrat
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this is such an amazing song, i wish i knew exactly what it's about..i'm thinking it might be about the salem witch trials? "Seventy-four. Seventy-five. He's getting used to it now, how each one falls away in that hoary light.", could be an observer of the burnt witches counting all of the deaths they've seen. "such a waste, where every angel looks dead, every face a lie.", could be the narrator's lack in faith, since everyone is lying and accusing everyone else. i might totally, completely, absolutely be wrong. it's just a guess!
It looks like that I have a version that slightly differ in lyrics. Anyway, here they are:
Seventy-four, seventy-five he's getting used to it now how each one falls away in that hoary light
And they have gone, gone from the edge gone from the guards and their hands Was no different today than in years gone by
But he won't come out to light with his hands so thin and white
Gone from the edge, then he is gone from your eyes as that splintering wave takes so many lives Even the hands are gripping the edge of such a waste Every angel looks dead, every face a lie
But you won't come out tonight with your hands so thin and white, alive
Seventy-four, seventy-five Daddy, come back to me now I would beat them away I would pull you out
I have washed every cinder from your eyes and with silver and gold I would adorn you I'll let it all come out tonight when they pull me out alive, alive
I think the song is about a tsunami, and a father searching for his son in the wreckage. Each body he finds is not his son ("every angel looks dead, every face a lie"). The last verse is told from the father's point of view. Dark, heartbreaking, and mournful, like so much of Shearwater's music.
my father committed suicide when i was very young. i like to think of him when i listen to this song. i actually listened to it around six or seven years ago massively, but today, it randomly started haunting me. and i didn't even remember the lyrics. it's a great song, what ever it means.