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.
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Kitchen is the cook, whoa, ey, oh
Scissors are the barbers, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
The chorus full of actors
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Kitchen is the cook, whoa, ey, oh
Scissors are the barbers, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
The chorus full of actors
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Kitchen is the cook, whoa, ey, oh
Scissors are the barbers, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
The chorus full of actors
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
Kitchen is the cook, whoa, ey, oh
Scissors are the barbers, whoa, ey, oh
Singer is a crook, whoa, ey, oh
The chorus full of actors
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
People won't be people
When they hear this sound
That's been glowing in the dark at the edge of town
People won't be people
No, the people won't be people when they hear this sound
Won't you show me what begins at the edge of town
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
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,
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
I think this song is Battles commenting on the use of technology in music diminishing or changing the role of musicians. People aren't people when they hear the sound, because the sound is so dehumanised after being run through machines.
The singer is a crook, because he can be replaced by a machine that does his job better. The theme in the second verse is about the tools taking over the role of the person who uses the tools - the scissors become the barbers, the kitchen becomes the cook. It's a statement about "what begins at the edge of town" - a musical movement outside the mainstream that challenges the traditionally-defined role of musicians.
@bittersweetme I really agree with you. If you think about it, this could also mean that technology is taking over. Back in the day, people used to only use pen and paper to make drawings. Nowadays, they use an application to do so. <br /> If things keep going on like this, soon the kitchens will be the chefs, and there will be no barbers because there will be machines to do their job. People may or may not become less attached to the real world, but what worries me most is the fact that we are becoming more and more alienated and less aware of real life. <br /> There is Photoshop everywhere, and with people using filters, people are starting to look less and less like people.
@bittersweetme I reckon you're close, but not quite there. I think the song is about industrialisation and workers' rights: <br /> There's a repeated tune in the song that would accompany a union chant in the march for workers' rights "the workers, united, will never be defeated". If you listen for it' it's definitely there right at the beginning before these lyrics start is't like a whisper. <br /> Singer is also the name of a sewing machine manufacturer, and the introduction of Singer sewing machines had a massive effect on industrialisation and mass production of clothing - a massive human rights and workers rights issue globally today.<br /> Glowing in the dark at the edge of town - I think that's a reference to the Radium girls, who were instructed to lick the tips of their paintbrushes in the watch factories to help them create a fine line with the radium paint for glow in the dark numbers - the Radium girls were one of the most significant class-action lawsuits pushing workplace health and safety. It was massive for women to be able to earn a paycheck, and the ones who had been working in the factories for long enough would go out on the town and would literally glow at night. Some would even paint their teeth because they'd been told by their employer that it was safe. Their slow deaths of radium poisoning were horrible.<br /> What makes this song so effective is how it has a continuous beat - for me it's a walking song, not a dancing song. It's good for getting riled up and marching to. It's meant to incite action - and it mixes strong beats like the ones that keep workers in manual factories going at an efficient pace with union marches for workers rights.
wow,I didn't even know this song contained audible words. it's an excellent song though. And the video is sickk. (L)
Yeah, funkymonkey, thats what i hear or a very filtered "repeating on" for the first bit. This is what i vaguely hear.
People will be people People will be people when the air...???? Wondering in the dark ??????........ travel
People will be people X 3 People will be people when the Won't you show me the beginning ??????........ travel
amazing song though.
Bittersweetme's interpretation is absolutely perfect. And to add onto their interpretation: the musicians emphasize the meaning of the song by the crazy auto-tuned, altered, mechanical sound that they use for the voice. The voice is so altered that it doesn't even sound like a person and it doesn't even sound like a human language, let alone English. Also, the person below me said that the beginning of the song isn't the sound of voice but the sound of guitar, also emphasizing how mechanical the voice sounds. We can barely even tell the difference between the guitar and the voice. Beautiful song.
Tyondai told me after one of his shows. He told me that he was going to reveal the rest of the song later in the year. Maybe August.
too bad this part doesn't really matter.
but it still sounds cool.
There's more lyrics to this isn't there?What's here is kind of witty in an ironic way, but I swear there is more there. The vocals remind me of Animal Collective, but the whole thing is so dark and propulsive. Strange and Amazing song.
There are a lot of lyrics in this, but it is nearly impossible to make out. I think it says "people will be people when the air is still...." and then i lose it.
Here is my attempt:
Atlas (Repeat X)
People will be people when the air is stagnant Wonder in the dark We'll begin to travel People will be people will be People will be people When the end is here Won't you show me the beginning We'll begin to travel (Repeat X 2)
singer is a crook, oh-ay-oh singer is a crook, oh-ay-oh singer is a crook, oh-ay-oh singer is a crook, oh-ay-oh
kitchen is for cook, oh-ay-oh sissors at the barber, oh-ay-oh singer is a crook, oh-ay-oh The chorus doesn't matter
Some of their other songs have words two like: DDiamondd
people won't be people when they hear these samples.
how's that?!
Here's my version of what i think it is:
people wont be people when they hear this sound thats rolling in the dollar, up the air it will travel people wont be people wont be people wont be people when they hear this sound wont you show me where to begin? and up the air it will travel
singer is a crook, oh-ay-oh (x4)
kitchen is a cook, oh-ay-oh scissors are for barbers, oh ay oh singer is a crook, oh ay oh the chorus doesn't matter
...my other interpretation is "people wont be people when they eat a sandwich" and "roll it in the dollar, up the air we'll travel..." these could be drug references