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.
Here in Cologne
I know I said it wrong
I walked you to the train
And back across alone
To my hotel room
And ordered me some food
And now I'm wondering why the floor has suddenly become a moving target
Four, three, two, one,
I'm letting you go
I will let go
If you will let go
(Four, three, two)
Says here an astronaut
Put on a pair of diapers
Drove eighteen hours
To kill her boyfriend
And in my hotel room, I'm wondering
If you read that story too?
And if we both might
Be having the same imaginary conversation
Four, three, two, one,
I'm letting you go
I will let go
If you will let go
(Four, three, two)
Weightless as I close my eyes
The ceiling opens in disguise
Such a painful trip
To find out this is it
And when I go to sleep
You'll be waking up
Four, three, two, one,
I'm letting you go
I will let go
If you will let go
I know I said it wrong
I walked you to the train
And back across alone
To my hotel room
And ordered me some food
And now I'm wondering why the floor has suddenly become a moving target
Four, three, two, one,
I'm letting you go
I will let go
If you will let go
(Four, three, two)
Says here an astronaut
Put on a pair of diapers
Drove eighteen hours
To kill her boyfriend
And in my hotel room, I'm wondering
If you read that story too?
And if we both might
Be having the same imaginary conversation
Four, three, two, one,
I'm letting you go
I will let go
If you will let go
(Four, three, two)
Weightless as I close my eyes
The ceiling opens in disguise
Such a painful trip
To find out this is it
And when I go to sleep
You'll be waking up
Four, three, two, one,
I'm letting you go
I will let go
If you will let go
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
This is spectacular song-writing, and laced with a subtle power that creeps out of Folds' near-whisper, as well as the laugh-out-loud second verse.
The first thing Folds' gets here is a laugh, as an American somewhat hyper-conscious about his (mis)pronunciation of the German Koln. On a German tongue, it's not quite as simple as an aftershave. But then this becomes a tragic love-song involving an American whom I believe has come to visit his girlfriend who has been living temporarily in Europe, and ostensibly just told him that she will be staying there, ending their affair.
I love the four, three, two, one countdown, as it reads and sounds a little like those self-help mantras. 4,3,2,1 I'm letting you go!
Folks who are not Ben Folds fans may be startled or annoyed by the reference to the zaniest news story of the last decade appearing in the next verse. But, really, when you are in heartbreak mode, even a story like that of the NASA astronaut who drove from Houston to Florida wearing a diaper, so determined to kill her lover that nothing, not even potty breaks, was going to stop her -- even this can make you somehow think of your lost love.
And finally, my favorite line of the entire song, because it is so very authentic:
"When I go to sleep, you'll be waking up."
For the singer here, soon to suffer from transatlantic heartbreak, the emotional distance and the physical distance would be overwhelming, but this is exactly the sort of thought that would make the drastically divergent lifes they are about to enter feel so utterly incompatible -- "when I go to sleep, you'll be waking up......"
Absolutely fantastic stuff.
I agree with this interpretation, albeit fairly straightforward. Although, as one other commenter wrote, the 4 3 2... and no 1 might mean that he never reaches 1, never able to let go. That's all I got to add to your otherwise fine, fine post :)
This song is so powerful. I heard it this past weekend (a few days before Way To Normal hit store) for the first time and loved it from the start.
Beautiful song.
I, too, love the "4, 3, 2, 1... I'm letting you go" part.
I noticed the first time that he says "4, 3, 2, 1... I'm letting you go, I will let go if you will let go" but continues on to countdown again but not finish ("4, 3, 2... ohhhhh). It seems that he cannot get himself to actually let go. She might have let go, but he can't seem to, hence he's singing this song and never makes it to "1", where he previous stated he would let go after.
Really really great song. Ben's the fucking man.
@beyond_retarded Damn, I never thought of that...that he'll never reach 1 again, never able to let go. Very observant of u!
Love the song, and the whole astronaut thing is brilliant but I still cringe when I hear the word "diapers".
I don't think anyone can pull off using the word "diapers" in a song, not even Ben Folds.
I have to agree with you. Ben's songs have this strange ability to put me in this really calm state; maybe it's his voice, but I digress. As soon as I hear "put on a pair of diapers", I'm jolted out of that calm. It's disruptive.
nobody else need interpret the actual meaning. zembla's reading is perfect. good job.
I agree, Zembla couldn't have said it any better.
I think the song actually pertains to Ben's divorce last year from his wife who was from Australia.
So far, this is my favorite song off the new album.
Even though a lot of the songs seem to apply, Ben said that none of them are about his divorce
I attended his show at Terminal 5 on the 30th of September. He talked about the counting down. To him, it symbolized what people do when they first fall in love and are talking on the phone. The "you hang up" "no you hang up" "ok, we'll both hang up at the same time"
Fantastic, heartbreaking song. It constantly amazes me how songwriters like Ben manage to come up with new ways to say "the same old thing." I can see the tears filling up his eyes that cause the floor to "become a moving target."
I really like Ben's new album. I think the countdown (4,3,2,1 I'm letting you go.) is a play off of the astronaut story. It sounds like the countdown for a rocket to launch into space.
dumbass. annnnnn10 you are so wrong.
I think the countdown applies to both stories. I thought of the astronaut as well.