WALKING
ON THE EDGE
(Lyrics and Music by Rick Springfield)
Keep on, keep on, whispering in the night
There's no problem if it's not in sight
In the face of annihilation
We still plan futures for the children
Keep on whispering in the night
People talk it's just "cocktail chatter"
What we say, anyway, doesn't really matter
Everybody, the time is tight
We're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
From the left and from the right
They're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
And waiting on the big bang
Wake up, wake up, yes this is your life too
The light of spirit also burns in you
In the face of extermination
We still plan futures for the children
Get up, yes this is your life too
We talk and talk and shake our heads in wonder
Nothing that we can do
Can stop us from going under
Everybody, the time is tight
We're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
From the left and from the right
They're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
And waiting on the big bang
I sit here and contemplate my future
And all the songs that we all sing
Don't really do a thing
Everybody, the time is tight
We're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
From the left and from the right
They're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
And waiting on the big bang
Everybody, the time is tight
We're walking on the edge
Of a...
Everybody, the time is tight
We're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
From the left and from the right
They're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
Everybody, the time is tight
We're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
From the left and from the right
They're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
Everybody, time is tight
We're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
From the left and from the right
They're walking on the edge
Of the long black night
Waitin', waitin'
For the bang
(total playing time 5:10)
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I really feel this album was such a personal turning point for Rick.
"Ricky becoming a big boy." As he has sort of described himself. He has always
said this album held a lot of personal stuff. I just wish I liked it more musically.
Lyrically it is awesome.
Walking on the Edge for me is basically Dance this World Away Part 2. Same basic
theme. Difference: DTWA is basically an observational song. He sees that the world
is going to hell and everyone is standing around with blinders on and letting it all
happen around them. In WOTE he has gone past that and it has become a sort of "call
to arms" so to speak. He is calling people to action, to wake up and see what is
going on. There are several sets of songs on this album that I feel are sort of
continuations of each other. DTWA and WOTE is one of those pairs. First his new found
awareness of the world and then he figures out he can affect that world.... I do
like WOTE musically (rarity for this album for me). I love the off beat rhythms of the
song and the way it "drives" through the verses and then changes feel through
the chorus. I definitely .ike this one better than DTWA. I never did like that song, but
that is another review....
It's kinda cool that Power of Love leads right
into this song, which has that haunting, inhuman voice (kinda like the EFX master in the
beginning of that show!). I don't care for that voice. It makes me cringe! Here's another
song similar to Dance this World Away. Only this one is about how we're living our lives,
even though nuclear war is something that is imminent (waiting on the big bang). We just
don't know when (walking on the edge). We plan our futures, we have children and plan
their futures, but how do we know if there is a future.... if there is even a
tomorrow. Nothing is sure in this world. This song couldn't fit in any better than it does
with the world events going on right now.
I don't really like this song. It's like he's saying there's all
these huge problems on the horizon and because we aren't directly under attack, that we
aren't worrying enough about them. But the people who think like this have probably
been living in bomb shelters for the last 20 years, and that's not really living either.
It's not like you shouldn't be concerned, but you have to keep living your
life.....
The very beginning kinda reminds me of The Gathering thing that
they play before Rick comes out in concert. Then of course the creepy voice thing I hated
listening to. I liked the drum mix, it reminds me of Duran Duran, who I also loved back
then. Almost the same as Celebrate Youth, though I thought.
The lyrics were pretty self explanatory I thought, not much deep
hidden meaning here. The world needs to wake up and smell the coffee! If we don't start
taking care of ourselves and our world, there's not going to be one for our children
("we still plan futures for our children"). To me, the long black night
is the end of the world. I think he's trying to tell us that even though I am only one
voice, we can make a difference. ("Yes, this is your life too!") Don't
just talk about it, do something about it! ("The light of the spirit also burns
in you...get up, this is your life too") But all we do is talk about how bad
things are, never doing anything about it, sticking our heads in the sand.
All in all a very peppy song for such a heavy subject. Kinda hard to take seriously, I
thought since its so pop-oriented. The chorus was really catchy and I really liked the
bass line riff toward the end of the song too.
Ok...throw eggs at me now. I blame this
song (along with Dance This World Away and Walk Like A Man) for making it necessary for me
to constantly want to turn down the volume while listening to Tao. And I love the
lyrics of all 3 songs, they are very meaningful, but it is that dang, repetitive
beat. Hang on a minute, I am reaching for my Geritol right now!
Ok...I took a swig....I am back. I do think this song really captures the fear of
impending nuclear war that was so fresh in 1985 (sadly, the fear is more real than ever
today.) It delivers it's "doom and gloom" message effectively. But
what I struggle with is the "there is no hope" message if it. "What
we say anyway, doesn't really matter", "Nothing that we can do can stop
us from going under", and especially "All the songs that we all
sing...don't really do a thing." While I understand where the hopelessness
comes from, I don't agree with the words.
I think that the things that people say do matter, from the statements our President
makes to Congress down to the way in which we treat people at the grocery
store. It sets the tone for who we are as a united people. I also think the
songs that Rick in particular sings, have helped many of us through some very difficult
times in our lives. No, maybe "Jessie's Girl" will not stop a nuclear
war. But I know personally Rick's songs have helped me, given me happiness and
comfort. Rick songs are powerful and they "do" many things.
Song Facts:
Walking on the Edge appears on the
following releases: Tao Best of and
Legendary.
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