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.
Where ever we go, we'll never be lost,
Some follow the compass, some follow the cross
Me, I follow roads compulsively, till sirens call me off.
Then I wander, eyes closed, following songs
This rivers a hymnal, the leaves are applause
The trees sing in whispers, with the wind pulling their arms
Hold still, and listen, your hand on my heart,
If you need them, these beacons will lead you back to the start.
Yup.
No ax has seen these woods since before your father stood
The path is beaten good from the feet of all who wandered through it.
Old growth, holds hope, let the brambles scrape your skin
Scars are storybooks, the blood will wash away your sins.
Now let that sun slip, then let that moon rise
Follow in no footsteps, listen for the true guides.
Woods will play tricks upon pretty blue eyes
Is that glimmer the river, or your village finally brought back to life?
Follow me tonight, I'll show you what's it like
to be alive.
I know it seems like we're all lost, we see the secrets, we know the unknown
know the unknown,
know the unknown.
Keep close, hold my hand now, just be strong,
We can follow this river right back to your home
back to your home,
back to your home.
At the palace in Versilles, 400 years before this,
They are packing up supplies, preparing for a long trip
That they may not survive, but many of them know this,
They would rather die, than to leave the question open.
So this is why we try? We bet it all on hopeless?
And swim against the tide till until our every bone is broken
a sinking ship is still a ship, no captain has spoke the obit
Till the crew is flew, crow's nest slips silent beneath the ocean
we set sail without an anchor, we count upon that never stop
An anchor's just a coffin nail, waiting for that hammer drop
It holds you by the ankles till it pulls you to the Acheron
trade stable to be able to slip out from under devil's thumb
Keep your acres, my home is where my hat is hung,
postcard printed paper, and love notes from the lattice rungs.
Blessed are the vagrant, the lonely are the static ones,
It's every drifter's confirmation this world is just ravishing.
I know it seems like we're all lost, we can follow this river back home,
river back home,
river back home
I know it seems like we're all lost, we see the secrets, we know the unknown
know the unknown,
know the unknown
Keep close, hold my hand now, just be strong,
We can follow this river right back to your home
back to your home,
back to your home
I know it seems like we're all lost, we see the secrets, we know the unknown
know the unknown,
know the unknown
Some follow the compass, some follow the cross
Me, I follow roads compulsively, till sirens call me off.
Then I wander, eyes closed, following songs
This rivers a hymnal, the leaves are applause
The trees sing in whispers, with the wind pulling their arms
Hold still, and listen, your hand on my heart,
If you need them, these beacons will lead you back to the start.
Yup.
No ax has seen these woods since before your father stood
The path is beaten good from the feet of all who wandered through it.
Old growth, holds hope, let the brambles scrape your skin
Scars are storybooks, the blood will wash away your sins.
Now let that sun slip, then let that moon rise
Follow in no footsteps, listen for the true guides.
Woods will play tricks upon pretty blue eyes
Is that glimmer the river, or your village finally brought back to life?
Follow me tonight, I'll show you what's it like
to be alive.
I know it seems like we're all lost, we see the secrets, we know the unknown
know the unknown,
know the unknown.
Keep close, hold my hand now, just be strong,
We can follow this river right back to your home
back to your home,
back to your home.
At the palace in Versilles, 400 years before this,
They are packing up supplies, preparing for a long trip
That they may not survive, but many of them know this,
They would rather die, than to leave the question open.
So this is why we try? We bet it all on hopeless?
And swim against the tide till until our every bone is broken
a sinking ship is still a ship, no captain has spoke the obit
Till the crew is flew, crow's nest slips silent beneath the ocean
we set sail without an anchor, we count upon that never stop
An anchor's just a coffin nail, waiting for that hammer drop
It holds you by the ankles till it pulls you to the Acheron
trade stable to be able to slip out from under devil's thumb
Keep your acres, my home is where my hat is hung,
postcard printed paper, and love notes from the lattice rungs.
Blessed are the vagrant, the lonely are the static ones,
It's every drifter's confirmation this world is just ravishing.
I know it seems like we're all lost, we can follow this river back home,
river back home,
river back home
I know it seems like we're all lost, we see the secrets, we know the unknown
know the unknown,
know the unknown
Keep close, hold my hand now, just be strong,
We can follow this river right back to your home
back to your home,
back to your home
I know it seems like we're all lost, we see the secrets, we know the unknown
know the unknown,
know the unknown
Lyrics submitted by JSLB
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Second verse is "No axe has seen these woods since before your father stood".
After "a sinking ship is still a ship" sounds like "no captain spoke the obit" - obit as in obituary. That would sort of fit the whole sinking ship thing but I'm not 100% on that.
Thanks for posting this, need more of the songs from This is Our Science up here! :)
..such a beautiful song.
I tried my hardest to make out all of the words. There were a few places in particular that I know I didn't do too well and they are as follows:
I can't tell what he says after "a sinking ship is still a ship..." and after "It holds you by the ankles till it pulls you..."
I'm 50% sure that the lyrics after "postcard printed paper, and love notes" are "from the lattice strung" or it could also be "from the ladder rung"
And what does anybody else think he says on the second verse, I thought maybe "access" could also be "axis" like an alliance, but "access" makes a little bit more sense. I'd appreciate any corrections!
He finally posted his lyrics in a digital booklet with the album. Lyrics above come straight from the artist's mouth.
At a show, Astronautalis claimed that this song was about French mountain climbers.