its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
Across the Burnside bridge
Before anyone shot their movies there
We hid from the whipping rain
When we had run out of cocaine
Dispatch down to plaid pantry
Two on point and two on sentry
Ah, the joys that the lesser days bring
Make you throw back your heads and sing
God bless all petty thieves
With tins of oysters up their sleeves
Feast when you can
And dream when theres nothing to feast on
Across a different bridge today
Over the river and down Broadway
Feels so good to have you here
Some of you will be dead next year
I see your destinies above you
Like angels who don't love you
Let them kiss you and hold you tight
As long as the money's right
God bless all my old friends
And god bless me too, why pretend?
Feast when you can
And dream when theres nothing to feast on
God bless the guys from my old neighborhood
Gone past the point where any blessings can do them any good
Attach the C-4 where you must
Disappear in a cloud of dust
But spare a thought for what it covers up
Pour a triple and raise your cup
We were here once, me and my friends
But we destroyed all of the evidence
And vanished into the night
At least we got that one right
God bless us, all of us
We who learn to shun the light
God bless all vampires every night
Feast when you can
Feast when you can
Feast when you can
Feast when you can
Before anyone shot their movies there
We hid from the whipping rain
When we had run out of cocaine
Dispatch down to plaid pantry
Two on point and two on sentry
Ah, the joys that the lesser days bring
Make you throw back your heads and sing
God bless all petty thieves
With tins of oysters up their sleeves
Feast when you can
And dream when theres nothing to feast on
Across a different bridge today
Over the river and down Broadway
Feels so good to have you here
Some of you will be dead next year
I see your destinies above you
Like angels who don't love you
Let them kiss you and hold you tight
As long as the money's right
God bless all my old friends
And god bless me too, why pretend?
Feast when you can
And dream when theres nothing to feast on
God bless the guys from my old neighborhood
Gone past the point where any blessings can do them any good
Attach the C-4 where you must
Disappear in a cloud of dust
But spare a thought for what it covers up
Pour a triple and raise your cup
We were here once, me and my friends
But we destroyed all of the evidence
And vanished into the night
At least we got that one right
God bless us, all of us
We who learn to shun the light
God bless all vampires every night
Feast when you can
Feast when you can
Feast when you can
Feast when you can
Lyrics submitted by lionelhutz
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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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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.
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Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I just wanna give some input that some may not know. It may add a little clarity to the song.
The burnside bridge is in Portland OR. Burnside is the street that divides the city north and south, so it is a pretty main street. Also, the thing about shooting films, I believe it was in the 90s when people, especially Gus Van Sant for example, shot films in Portland. In fact, his movie Paranoid Park (which was filmed much later, but still) was filmed in the Burnside Skatepark, underneath the east side of the Burnside Bridge.
Also, Plaid Pantry is a really prominent gas station chain in Portland OR. They tend to be not well maintained though.
Finally, the other bridge thing... The bridge north of Burnside is the Steel, and then just north of that is the Broadway bridge