I need an interpetation on "Jump"

**Mr_Briar** · 11.20.02, 02:03 PM

I was just wondering what does DLR mean when he says

Ah, might as well jump. Jump!
Might as well jump
Go ahead an' jump. Jump!
Go ahead and jump

My Creative Writing instructor gave this assignment to me, because of my Van Halen t-shirt I wore to class that day.

Someone please help me on this one.
Thanks

[ November 20, 2002, 01:38 PM: Message edited by: Mr_Briar ]

**thinlineokc** · 11.20.02, 02:17 PM

Did you see that SNL a few years back that was set in like a college/HS English comp class and Adam Sandler forgot his Essay or whatever and he just started reciting the lyrics to "Jump" as a substitute for his missing paper in an over the top fashion? The professor loved it and praised it as genius. Is this were you got the idea for this post?

It's kind of ironic that the most bubblegum lyrics about a completely bland topic translated into Van Halen's first #1 single.

Go figure.

**Dr. Love** · 11.20.02, 03:21 PM

I think Dave was telling this guy he was watching on TV to jump off the building and end it all.

But if you want an interpretation... I say Jump means go and give it your all and do it.

**dka5150** · 11.20.02, 03:27 PM

What? You mean Dave has lyrics that are just as shitty as Sam's? No way. This can't be!!! How do you Roth fans sleep at night knowing that Dave can't write meaningful lyrics?

(BTW, it's still one of the best songs ever!

)

**Red-Diamond** · 11.20.02, 04:05 PM

IMO, Jump means live your life, and have some fun
[img]graemlins/bounce.gif[/img]

**Zahzoo** · 11.20.02, 04:07 PM

It's a symbolic way of saying... "Go For It!!"

**baddmann28** · 11.20.02, 07:38 PM

I'm no genius but I think he means Jump. No really go ahead and Jump. Man I'm serious dude, get up and Jump. No really go ahead and Jump.

Dude seriously? Has he ever written anything inspirational? Ok I'll give you Drop dead legs, when my favorite stripper at big al's dances to that I get inspired. He probably really did write it seeing someone attempting to commit suicide. I read that somewhere in the 80's

**MikeL** · 11.20.02, 08:21 PM

Originally posted by baddmann28:
Dude seriously? Has he ever written anything inspirational?

Of course he has. If you don't get that, I pity you. Parts of Dave's work are deeper than some people can realize.

Jump is simple. There's nothing complex. No hidden meanings or anything terribly symbolic. All the man is saying is take a chance. Think about the positive possibilities instead of the negative ones. It's not rocket science, and it sure doesn't take a genius to decode it.

Sometimes I wonder how people can sing every word and know every note to some of these songs without having any fucking clue as to what the song is about.

**Raldo** · 11.21.02, 07:19 AM

A prelude to the Nike ad 'Just Do It'.

I wish my teachers in school gave me assignments like that. Sounds fun.

**baddmann28** · 11.21.02, 07:45 PM

Please don't pity me I am just fine. Dave hasn't written anything inspirational to me. Dave is about let's get the party started, bring on the ladies. There is nothing wrong with this, it was good for it's time. But has he gotten beyond that?

It really doesn't matter to me anyhow because I am more interested in hearing Eddie Than listening to Dave.

**The Van Baron** · 11.21.02, 08:04 PM

....show your creative writing instuctor the back of record....and put the songs in a sentence...." teach..this is what dave meant " in 1984 van halen jumped panama top jimmy & droped dead legs....i'll wait with the girl gone bad in this house of pain [img]graemlins/thumb.gif[/img]

**WARHEAD** · 11.21.02, 10:08 PM

I think someone needs to go listen to a classic old VH album titled "Fair Warning". What the Fuck?

Dave took us more places on that album than ever before. There were a bunch of us livin' lots of the parts of those songs right as they were being put out by the band. They were us and we were them, and Dave wrote the coolest shit going, no one even close. And his attitude on the original VH material is unparalled for the era.

His songs can all be about pussy and partyin' if that's what's on your mind when you're listenin' and taking the extra step to interpret the story of the song. But alot, if not all, of Dave's lyrics can be interpreted to mean alot of different things to us at different times in our life.

Take a line like, "Wanna see my i.d., try to clip my wings"

As a kid, I saw this as being about a kid getting carded at a bar by the doorman.

Now as I've gotten older, I sometimes take it to mean something about getting into heaven, and getting your wings clipped, not letting you be an angel, or some shit like that.

Some people may not listen to music with interpretation in mind. But I would think that the way Dave writes, he is glad to see every new interpretation of his lyrics. To say one thing and have it mean so many different things to so many different people because of what they think it means.

**Ikeda** · 11.21.02, 10:28 PM

jump is one of those songs that's nice and simple and that's why it works so well - like "i wanna hold your hand."

dave could be clever, and he could be cool, but i think the best stuff has an energy, a punch to the gut and a slap on the back, like trying to down a single little shot and feeling it light up your chest. i got that with jump.

**Daved Mikalex** · 11.22.02, 12:44 AM

Dont doubt yourself, just do it !

On a tangent, was it just me or did you all cringe when Sammy used to sing this ?
The line in question was:

"Cant you see me standing here I got my back against the record machine"

Hagar would sing

"Cant you see me standing here I got my ass against the record machine"

WTF was going on there ? Did Sam have worms or something ? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

**muffdiver** · 11.22.02, 05:17 AM

Originally posted by Daved Mikalex:
Dont doubt yourself, just do it !

On a tangent, was it just me or did you all cringe when Sammy used to sing this ?
The line in question was:

"Cant you see me standing here I got my back against the record machine"

Hagar would sing

"Cant you see me standing here I got my ass against the record machine"

WTF was going on there ? Did Sam have worms or something ? [img]tongue.gif[/img]

didn't know that's what he was saying... [img]graemlins/wtf.gif[/img]