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.
Oh yeah
Alright
Somebody's Heine'
Is crowdin' my icebox
Somebody's cold one
Is givin' me chills
Guess I'll just close my eyes
Oh yeah
Alright
Feels good
Inside
Flip on the tele
Wrestle with Jimmy
Something is bubbling
Behind my back
The bottle is ready to blow
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
I can't confront you
I never could do
That which might hurt you
So try and be cool
When I say
This way is a water-slide away from me
That takes you further every day
So be cool
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
Dear Daddy
I write you in spite of years of silence
You've cleaned up, found Jesus, things are good or so I hear
This bottle of Steven's awakens ancient feelings
Like father, stepfather, the son is drowning in the flood
Yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
Alright
Somebody's Heine'
Is crowdin' my icebox
Somebody's cold one
Is givin' me chills
Guess I'll just close my eyes
Oh yeah
Alright
Feels good
Inside
Flip on the tele
Wrestle with Jimmy
Something is bubbling
Behind my back
The bottle is ready to blow
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
I can't confront you
I never could do
That which might hurt you
So try and be cool
When I say
This way is a water-slide away from me
That takes you further every day
So be cool
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
Dear Daddy
I write you in spite of years of silence
You've cleaned up, found Jesus, things are good or so I hear
This bottle of Steven's awakens ancient feelings
Like father, stepfather, the son is drowning in the flood
Yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah-yeah
Say it ain't so
Your drug is a heart-breaker
Say it ain't so
My love is a life-taker
Lyrics submitted by oofus, edited by amandagisele, GreenrScenry
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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"It's such a complicated story, way too complex to write a song about. I should never have done it. I was really afraid of alcohol at the time. I didn't drink till I was 21, not even a sip. I was petrified of alcohol. "Say it ain't So" was about when I was 16. I opened up the refrigerator and I saw a can of beer. All of a sudden I made the connection that my step-father was leaving...because my father started drinking when he left my mother."
straight from the man himself. so quit yer whinin'
@SweetSuz00 <br /> Damn. No wonder it's my fav on the album. Glad it was written, not that it happens.
@SweetSuz00 <br /> You must never believe what artists say about their art: it's all bullshit.<br /> This song oozes sensuality from every pore, it's a (heavily) sexual metaphor from top to bottom.<br /> And I add: fortunately. It would be terrible if the meaning was as stupid as Cuomo would have you believe.
@Aryanna2378 this is the dumbest and most pretentious shit I've read in a while. Look at you, knowing better what the song is about than the guy who actually wrote it.
my fave song by my fave band-hell, i even named my youngest Rivers! i'm not too sure what rivers was going for when he wrote it, but i DO know how it makes me feel....my dad was a raging alcoholic that was never around for he was too busy drinking, shooting pool, and whoring....when i was about ten, he remarried, cleaned up, found God, and then suddenly became too good for ME! 23 years later we barely talk, no matter how hard I try....so no matter what he was really trying to say, i know that every single time I hear this song (and i've been listening to it since i was 16) i swear he wrote it just for me....
Sorry to hear that your father never came back to the family, or more so you. Maybe to him the idea of getting involved with anything in his past gives him a too strong of an urge to pick up. But IMHO that is something that needs to be worked on with ones self if you want to live life fully and normally but w.o alcohol.<br /> He also still may feel embarrassed and ashamed of how he treated you in your younger years.<br /> A tough and touchy situation, but wish you luck! Maybe one day you two will be talking.
btw.............This is from a recovering addict/alcoholic of 26 years,(now 6 years sober as of 5/15/12) ;) I lived it myself.....
A lot of people seem to be confused about the "Flip on the tele: wrestle with Jimmy" line. Steve (his step-father) was having a struggle with alcohol at this time. Jimmy, in this case, is a reference to Jim Beam. This line is pretty straight forward at this point. His step-father, Steven, is watching television, while downing Jim Beam. Also, people are some how screwing up the "bottle of Steven's" line. The 's is there to show possession. The bottle belongs to Steven (his step-father.) This whole song is about the struggle with alcoholism.
Actually, Jimmy refers to Rivers' brother, Leaves (legally, James Kitts). Rivers is trying to ignore the bottle of Heineken that's in his family's fridge, so he flips on the TV, and wrestles with his brother. Meanwhile that bottle is sitting in the fridge, and in the back of his mind, ready to blow, to make his stepfather leave, just as his father had.
This song is about alcoholism.
"Like father, stepfather, this son is drowning in the flood" obviously hints at alcoholism. Plus, there are a lot of references to beer and other alcoholic drinks.
i think this song is definetl about a guy whos dad was an alchoholic, even if it ist eally abour rvers experiance. and i think that th habit rubbed off on the son and he drinks b/c of some girl he loves that doesnt love him back or at least the habbit rubbed off on theson ( like father, step father, the son is drowningin the flood) but my opinon is possibly wrong. whatdo u think
No, there is no girl involved. The love is alcohol. My love is a lifetaker.
I'm pretty sure this song is about his fater's drinking problems and his own tendency to follow in his dad's footsteps. I know there is more to it than that though, anyone got a better idea?
I actually think this song starts off with a guy at a party or just hanging out with some friends and he can't wait until they bring out the alcohol because he's depressed that is girl friend is a "heart breaker" and she's pushing her self away from him more and more everyday so he needs to drink to feel better, then he realizes that he's relying on the alcohol so much he's becoming an alcoholic so he writes to his dad after not talking to him for his alcoholic problem to ask him to help him clean up like he did when he found jesus. <br /> Then he gets so desperate that he even tries to reach out to step dad for help because alcohol is over coming him, and he's drowing in the flood of life because of it.
I actually think this song starts off with a guy at a party or just hanging out with some friends and he can't wait until they bring out the alcohol because he's depressed that is girl friend is a "heart breaker" and she's pushing her self away from him more and more everyday so he needs to drink to feel better, then he realizes that he's relying on the alcohol so much he's becoming an alcoholic so he writes to his dad after not talking to him for his alcoholic problem to ask him to help him clean up like he did when he found jesus. <br /> Then he gets so desperate that he even tries to reach out to step dad for help because alcohol is over coming him, and he's drowing in the flood of life because of it.
i love this song..i don't really pay attention to the lyrics as much as the music..sigh good things happen when this song comes on.
The song references Rivers' Stepfather and his alcohol issues. There is an interview in which Cuomo said how he once opened the fridge and he knew his Mother and Stepfather were about to split because his Stepfather was drinking again - "This bottle of Steven's awakens ancient demons, like Father, Stepfather, The son is drowning in the flood", the alcoholism of his stepfather reminds him of his biological Father and he believes their alcoholic ways have disadvantaged him and left him to pick up the pieces "drowning in the flood". "Jimmy" is another alcohol reference to Jim Beam.
yeah that's just what i got out of it, and i listen to it, what, like everyday? this is my fav. song ever-i wish weezer would tour to nashville
This has been one of my favorite songs ever since I first heard it. I just had to say that.