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.
Dirty old river, must you keep rolling
Flowing into the night?
People so busy, make me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so bright
But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on
Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise
Every day, I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Terry meets Julie
Waterloo station
Every Friday night
But I am so lazy, don't want to wander
I stay at home at night
But I don't feel afraid
As long as I gaze on
Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise
Every day, I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Millions of people swarming like flies 'round
Waterloo underground
But Terry and Julie cross over the river
Where they feel safe and sound
And they don't need no friends
As long as they gaze on
Waterloo Sunset
They are in paradise
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Waterloo sunset's fine
Flowing into the night?
People so busy, make me feel dizzy
Taxi light shines so bright
But I don't need no friends
As long as I gaze on
Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise
Every day, I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Terry meets Julie
Waterloo station
Every Friday night
But I am so lazy, don't want to wander
I stay at home at night
But I don't feel afraid
As long as I gaze on
Waterloo sunset
I am in paradise
Every day, I look at the world from my window
But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Millions of people swarming like flies 'round
Waterloo underground
But Terry and Julie cross over the river
Where they feel safe and sound
And they don't need no friends
As long as they gaze on
Waterloo Sunset
They are in paradise
Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine)
Waterloo sunset's fine
Lyrics submitted by butterfingersbeck, edited by arin3
Waterloo Sunset Lyrics as written by Raymond Douglas Davies
Lyrics © Abkco Music Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
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.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
To me this song has always been bittersweet... something like a celebration of loneliness. Watching the world alone from his window, the narrator tries to convince himself that the beauty of the sunset is all he needs to be happy.
Amazing song, one of the greats. Ray (the greatest ever songwriter) wrote this in a hospital bed looking out of his window. Very English song.
The best song ever written. Musically and lyrically. Just perfect from start to finish.
You'll get no argument from me.
This is a very nice song, with great atmosphere - of a foggy London town, which is always busy and may seem grey and very fast, where a young person may seem to get lost, but if u have1soul mate - and u are with him/her then every place every dark corner has it's special meaning to you.
The song was actually written about Liverpool and was originally called 'Liverpool Sunset' because Ray Davies loved Livepool and wanted to do a Merseybeat song. He changed it because Penny Lane was released around the same time and it would have seemed like it was copying. There is of course a Waterloo in Liverpool.
@Ellieboo It is what it is, Ray is a Londoner, he adores London especially his patch.
@delia17601 it is what it is. He wrote it about Liverpool originally and has given interviews about how much he loves Liverpool. Get over it, love!
@Ellieboo Really? All I have ever heard is Ray's love for London, so who is right or wrong? Of course he may have a love for Liverpool, who doesn't, but the song is not about Liverpool, it is about Waterloo, London.
I read somewhere years ago that the line Terry meets Julie refers to the actors Terrance Stamp and Julie Christie. Excellent song
[*]
Dirty old river must you keep rolling flowing into the night? People so busy make me feel dizzy Taxi lights shine so bright
But I don't need no friends. As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset I am paradise.
Everyday I look at the world from my window but chilly, chilly is the evenin' time Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine..)
Terry meets Julie Waterloo Station every Friday night but I am so lazy don't want to wander I stay at home at night
But I don't feel afraid. As long as I gaze on waterloo sunset I am in paradise.
Everyday I look at the world from my window but chilly, chilly is the evenin' time Waterloo sunset's fine (Waterloo sunset's fine..)
Millions of people swarming like flies 'round Waterloo Underground but Terry and Julie cross over the river where they feel safe and sound.
And they don't need no friends As long as they gaze on Waterloo sunset they are in pardise
Waterloo sunset's fine (x3)
Waterloo Sunset is a great, great Kinks song, and one of the all-time masterpieces of music. Being lonely and sad and being conformed is the topic, I guess. ("And I don't need no friends. As long as I gaze on Waterloo Sunset, I am in paradise"). The narrator knows about Terry and Julie, which I think are people he doesn't know, but he wishes he did, because he's lonely. Well, there are many interpretations, of course, though.
" dunno if hes talkin about a certain place"
there's an underground (subway) station in London called Waterloo, right next to the Thames. Ray Davies grew up in London.........this song is said to be about his feelings for the place.
The song can work with anywhere, it just sounds so familiar from the first time you hear it, i guess it just naturally conjures up images of wherever you call home.
As well as there being an underground station, there's a massive station too!<br /> <br /> But yeah. Waterloo station is right next to the river, and right next to the bridge. It's a great song with great imagery.
Not nearly enough British songs written about British places. I'm British :)