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.
Won't break my heart
I won't hope to die if before Lexington I could slow down
They say a chariot's waiting when you get cut loose
The place start swinging when it's me on the noose
Mother do you think that your children cry?
'Cause they want to shake your chain?
I walked miles today one for every year of my life
In this stinking fucking rain
Ooh, Just to slow down
So I could slow down
So I could slow down, yeah
Work for me luck just one last time
Spare me a chance, I've wasted mine
Shine on me light, don't you know I would
Reach for you there if only I could?
If I could slow down
If I could slow down
If I could slow down
Just slow down
I don't mind being stoned they say, Jesus was
And I like being alone and I can take living low
Forgive my being cruel if ever I was say a word for me too
When I'm under the gun it wouldn't break my heart
If I could slow down
Let the place start swinging
If there's a chariot waiting
Wouldn't break my heart
If I could slow down
Let the place start swinging
There's a chariot waiting
Wouldn't break my heart
I won't hope to die if before Lexington I could slow down
They say a chariot's waiting when you get cut loose
The place start swinging when it's me on the noose
Mother do you think that your children cry?
'Cause they want to shake your chain?
I walked miles today one for every year of my life
In this stinking fucking rain
Ooh, Just to slow down
So I could slow down
So I could slow down, yeah
Work for me luck just one last time
Spare me a chance, I've wasted mine
Shine on me light, don't you know I would
Reach for you there if only I could?
If I could slow down
If I could slow down
If I could slow down
Just slow down
I don't mind being stoned they say, Jesus was
And I like being alone and I can take living low
Forgive my being cruel if ever I was say a word for me too
When I'm under the gun it wouldn't break my heart
If I could slow down
Let the place start swinging
If there's a chariot waiting
Wouldn't break my heart
If I could slow down
Let the place start swinging
There's a chariot waiting
Wouldn't break my heart
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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This is a great song Lanegan at his best. This song is about battling with demands and never getting lucky or that one big break and saying that if he did he could slow down and stop doing heroine. I agree with him in the fact that some people never get any help or anything good coming there way and it hurts you really bad and makes you really low. You see this in the lines: "Work for me luck, Just one last time, Spare me a chance, I've wasted mine, Shine on me light, Don't you know I would, Reach for you there, If only I could, If I could slow down, If I could slow down, If I could slow down, Just slow down". You can hear the pain in his voice and that is one of the only reasons why i love him. he puts his all into everything and he uses real life and real life situations either about him or his friends. He will never be the same after one of his friends died Curt Cobain. He then stopped playing and writing music for awhile after the screaming trees broke off. If it wasn't for Josh Homme, and Joey Castillo and Jessy Hughes being his friend as well he would have not gone back to music and probably would have OD on Heroine. I love how he turned it around and joined Queens of The Stone Age because Josh Homme loves him and loved him singing and playing guitar with him in the screaming trees and in QOTSA. My Favorite verse in this song is "I don't mind being stoned, They say Jesus was, And I like being alone, And I can take living low, Forgive my being cruel if ever I was, And say a word for me too, When I'm under the gun" because that is exactly how you feel i love how on the ball and real he is about opiate addicts and opiate withdrawals because i am an opiate addict as well and i feel the same way.
@vergatim What exactly is Lexington?
Great poetic lyrics.
"Mother do you think that your children cry Because they want to shake your chain? I walked miles today One for every year of my life In this stinking fucking rain"