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.
Adia, I do believe I failed you
Adia, I know I've let you down
Don't you know I tried so hard
To love you in my way
It's easy, let it go
Adia, I'm empty since you left me
Trying to find a way to carry on
I search myself and everyone
To see where we went wrong
There's no one left to finger
There's no one here to blame
There's no one left to talk to, honey
And there ain't no one to buy our innocence
'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?
Adia, I thought that we could make it
I know I can't change the way you feel
I leave you with your misery
A friend who won't betray
I pull you from your tower
I take away your pain
And show you all the beauty you possess
If you'd only let yourself believe
That we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?
'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?
Adia, I know I've let you down
Don't you know I tried so hard
To love you in my way
It's easy, let it go
Adia, I'm empty since you left me
Trying to find a way to carry on
I search myself and everyone
To see where we went wrong
There's no one left to finger
There's no one here to blame
There's no one left to talk to, honey
And there ain't no one to buy our innocence
'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?
Adia, I thought that we could make it
I know I can't change the way you feel
I leave you with your misery
A friend who won't betray
I pull you from your tower
I take away your pain
And show you all the beauty you possess
If you'd only let yourself believe
That we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?
'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
'Cause we are born innocent
Believe me, Adia, we are still innocent
It's easy, we all falter
Does it matter?
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To me, this song is about feeling as though you have let someone down. Sarah is singing about Adia, a person who is troubled. Sarah feels responsible for Adia... she feels obligated to be Adia's should to lean on, and she tries to help Adia but Adia just isn't able to heal. Thus, Sarah feels like she has failed Adia. Also, I think that maybe "Adia" is really Sarah. Sarah is singing about how she has tried to love herself and feel whole, but to no avail. She's empty and lost, and she is upset that she has lost herself. My favorite line in this song is, "I leave you with your misery/a friend who won't betray". I can really understand that. When you feel so alone and sad, all you have is your misery. Even though your misery hurts, it's always there, no matter what. This song is beautiful. Sarah is amazing. I love her.
Well "Adia" comes from an African word meaning "being a gift", or just "a gift", so she probably is talking about herself.
Yeah, right now I think I've finally managed to "marry" myself, to finally let go of that Cure lyric "I don't want what I want". I realize now that I was living black and white in a grey world, which was why the world didn't fit with me sometimes. "We are still innocent" - things are no longer about right and wrong, or innocence and guilt, but choices.
The line "'Cause there's no one left to finger" is followed by "there's no one here to blame". She's not talking about fingering anyone... she's saying that there is no one else to point a finger at - she can't blame anyone.
from vh1 storytellers, Sarah said that this song talks about her "problems in dealing with feeling responsible for everyone else." adia is her (to why she named her adia, she just said that she likes the sound of it), and she talks to herself with this song. eeky people would actually think that its a gay song (theres no one left to finger), but said, theyre eeky so theres no surprise there
I think all songs can be interpreted to yourself in some way. This song to me is about someone not protecting an innocent person when they felt it was their responsibility. They try to apologize to the innocent person, saying just because a bad thing had happened did not mean they lost their innocence. The protector says they tried to love them in their way, to me that means something was blocking this person from being able to love fully. But now this person is looking back and knows they didnt do right by the innocent one, and wants them to forgive them. She wants to take away their pain and suffer for what she neglected the innocent one for. I think its a very touching song, and hits me close to home. No matter what happens to us that is out of our control, we are all still born innocent, and are innocent even when bad things are done to us.
Sarah McLachlan is just <b>so</b> talented, and this song is proof of that.
I read on the main site for her that the song was about her best friend.
When you finger someone you blame them, as in "finger the suspect in the line-up." It's a common saying, unless you are 13.
the one and only song i have heard by Sarah McLaughlan, it is one of the sweetest, most amazingly expressive songs i have ever heard and i agree with slave2disco, she is extremely talented. a truly inspirational song. xxx Lou
The "comment adder" if you will, asked me this question: "What does this song mean to you?" Simple: It means everything thats beautiful. Sarah is right up there with Lauryn and DMband
First of all, there is NOTHING WRONG WITH LESBIAN RELATIONSHIPS. Now that that's over with, I can get off of my soapbox.
This song isn't about a lesbian relationship. I heard that it was to her friend who was in a relationship with the man she (Sarah) would later marry, but I could be wrong.