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.
You're the nose on my bullet
The trigger on my gun
You're the sandbank in the ocean
Oxygen in my blood
You're the fastest of the fish
You're the prickliest pear
You're a chameleon in the night
You're the sahara's sun glare
You're my mind's rest
You're the strings on my guitar
You're the wax in my moustache
The keys to my car
You're the magical mermaid's hollowed illusion
You cool them, fool them
And they hope so much
And you let them down
And you watch from your rock
And your heart beats fast as you watch their's stop
I will keep on loving
'Cos I believe in love
I don't mind dying
If you follow me up
Your victory's your defeat
Your head above your heart
Only the brave surrender
Death cannot tear us apart
Well my smile is wider
Than your's when we meet
And the winter is colder
For me underneath
And I know that you glow
From the inside out
You can keep it for yourself
And I'll go without
You are the fire and I'm the chimney
You'll burn away and I'll choke on your memory
All the words, my sense, you're the poet to my pen
You're the dream that brings the morning sadness
Start the day storm in my head
Well you're the Oscar Wilde short stories in my bookcase
You're positively 4th street isolated in my itunes
You're the word in the dictionary that I can't spell
Can't describe, can't put in a sentence but use all the time
Your own pair of trousers look better on me
The boots of spanish leather
And the bottom of the sea
Every symbol of love that doesn't relate to a meaning
Every feeling, every sensation
Only real when I'm dreaming
I will keep on loving
'Cos I believe in love
I don't mind dying
If you follow me up
Your victory's your defeat
Your head above your heart
Only the brave surrender
Death cannot tear us apart
Well I wish we were animals free of loves games
I wish we were snails with really big shells
I wish I was a lion, I'd be king of the wild
I'd command all the beasts to carry you when you're tired
I'm the elephant in the circus
Oh, you're my trainer
You'd never let me go
But if you did I would stay here
In love there is freedom
But it must be returned
There must be sacrifice
Love must be learnt
A donkey, a mule, a lifetime of work
In death he rests his head from his reins
No burden to bare but work left him lame
And the lion on the mountain chased from his pride
His lioness stolen, his rival survives
The sound of his cubs in death are dim
He knows his world well, no pain can defeat him
Wild horses in the wilderness
Will know no journey home
Well my love is locked in chains
The lion walks alone
Oh the lion walks alone
Nature is cruel
But he knows it's his home
He to his demons
And you to your own
Please let me stand by you
And we'll conquer them all
We will conquer them all
Oh I will conquer them all (x3)
The trigger on my gun
You're the sandbank in the ocean
Oxygen in my blood
You're the fastest of the fish
You're the prickliest pear
You're a chameleon in the night
You're the sahara's sun glare
You're my mind's rest
You're the strings on my guitar
You're the wax in my moustache
The keys to my car
You're the magical mermaid's hollowed illusion
You cool them, fool them
And they hope so much
And you let them down
And you watch from your rock
And your heart beats fast as you watch their's stop
I will keep on loving
'Cos I believe in love
I don't mind dying
If you follow me up
Your victory's your defeat
Your head above your heart
Only the brave surrender
Death cannot tear us apart
Well my smile is wider
Than your's when we meet
And the winter is colder
For me underneath
And I know that you glow
From the inside out
You can keep it for yourself
And I'll go without
You are the fire and I'm the chimney
You'll burn away and I'll choke on your memory
All the words, my sense, you're the poet to my pen
You're the dream that brings the morning sadness
Start the day storm in my head
Well you're the Oscar Wilde short stories in my bookcase
You're positively 4th street isolated in my itunes
You're the word in the dictionary that I can't spell
Can't describe, can't put in a sentence but use all the time
Your own pair of trousers look better on me
The boots of spanish leather
And the bottom of the sea
Every symbol of love that doesn't relate to a meaning
Every feeling, every sensation
Only real when I'm dreaming
I will keep on loving
'Cos I believe in love
I don't mind dying
If you follow me up
Your victory's your defeat
Your head above your heart
Only the brave surrender
Death cannot tear us apart
Well I wish we were animals free of loves games
I wish we were snails with really big shells
I wish I was a lion, I'd be king of the wild
I'd command all the beasts to carry you when you're tired
I'm the elephant in the circus
Oh, you're my trainer
You'd never let me go
But if you did I would stay here
In love there is freedom
But it must be returned
There must be sacrifice
Love must be learnt
A donkey, a mule, a lifetime of work
In death he rests his head from his reins
No burden to bare but work left him lame
And the lion on the mountain chased from his pride
His lioness stolen, his rival survives
The sound of his cubs in death are dim
He knows his world well, no pain can defeat him
Wild horses in the wilderness
Will know no journey home
Well my love is locked in chains
The lion walks alone
Oh the lion walks alone
Nature is cruel
But he knows it's his home
He to his demons
And you to your own
Please let me stand by you
And we'll conquer them all
We will conquer them all
Oh I will conquer them all (x3)
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
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In my opinion, this is an amazing attempt to describe how one feels about another person when it comes to writing you feeling on paper.
How Am I The First Person to WRITE about this song.????
RL
I Absolutely love this song.
It's like he's trying to describe something thats impossible to completely describe.
And i love all the Bob Dylan references in there- Boots of Spanish Leather, Positively 4th Street....
Love.