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.
When we first came here
We were cold and we were clear
With no colors on our skin
We were light and paper-thin
And when we first came here
We were cold and we were clear
With no colors on our skin
'Til you let the spectrum in
Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
And when we come for you
We dressed up all in blue
With the ocean in our arms
Kiss your eyes and kiss your palms
And when it's time to pray (better pray to God)
We'll be dressed up all in gray
With metal on our tongues
And silver in our lungs
Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
And when we come back we'll be dressed in black
And you'll scream our names aloud
And we won't eat and we won't sleep
We'll drag bodies from the ground
So say my name
And every color illuminates
And we are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
We are shining
Say my name
Say my name
And we'll never be afraid again
We were cold and we were clear
With no colors on our skin
We were light and paper-thin
And when we first came here
We were cold and we were clear
With no colors on our skin
'Til you let the spectrum in
Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
And when we come for you
We dressed up all in blue
With the ocean in our arms
Kiss your eyes and kiss your palms
And when it's time to pray (better pray to God)
We'll be dressed up all in gray
With metal on our tongues
And silver in our lungs
Say my name
And every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
And when we come back we'll be dressed in black
And you'll scream our names aloud
And we won't eat and we won't sleep
We'll drag bodies from the ground
So say my name
And every color illuminates
And we are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
As every color illuminates
We are shining
And we'll never be afraid again
Say my name
We are shining
Say my name
Say my name
And we'll never be afraid again
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Cajun Girl
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
No Surprises
Radiohead
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
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Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Its complex- its both about music and what it does to and for people and also links it to the physical and emotional development of humans
The first verse links human beings when they were clear and colourless ( one celled entities in the sea without consciousness or voice) to their emergence onto land and into the full spectrum of sunlight - and which point they develop into humans of all colours and races and internally develop the divine spark- and also language and sound- the basis for expressing both the divine spark and the wonder if the colourful world around them. Calling the name of the creator in song brings and expresses joy, banishes fear, lights people up, feeds and expressed the inner light. As people develop they cover their bodies in blue woad or tatoos and bring gifts from the ocean in their hands to other tribes- greet them, kiss them as a sign of peace and share their music- music becomes more complex.
When organised religion becomes possible- the monls are dressed in grey when they sing and develop harmonies . As music becomes more formal it loses some of its natural colour but the message of the music is strong ( metal on the tongue) and the first metal instruments ( trumpets etc - silver in the lungs) are used as accompaniments . The singing illuminates and Brings us closer to the divine- but the metal suggests some repression .
The final phase is the music of mass commercialism - and also war- the chants of the military screaming the names if political dictators . BUT it isnt the only music- the music of protest also keeps hope alive, remembers the dead , tells the truth ( what happened and where the bodies are buried, dragging the lies into the light Of truth) conquers fear. The human spirit lights up once again. The vision is apocalyptic as we move from our early shimmering innocence, through our blue period of discovery to our grey period of religious organisation to our obliteration of our free colorful beginnings as we enter our era of mass extinction and mass warfare ( black Is the absence if colour) yet all those things have contributed to our music and art and we might yet survive if we can be brought together through song and celebration as the divine spark remains as does the urge to walk in the sun and sing