What the Song 5150 about?

**dropdeadlegs** · 03.09.00, 08:36 AM

Anyone out there know exactly what the 5150 song is about? Alot of songs are a little abstract, so I'm not really sure. The lines... "I feel like a runnin' politician, just try to please ya all the time"..."always want more, your never satisfied"...My best deduction would be it havin' somethin' to do with a women who bitches and complains all the time. A subject that I know all too well! As to how the title 5150 fits into that theme??? The best I could come up with is the women gets a 51% in the relationship and the poor slob gets 50%, resulting in 5150 relationship. I'm just getting silly with this one folks.

**z28girl** · 03.09.00, 09:59 AM

I seem to remember someone (maybe Ed) saying it was about Dave. I could be wrong though. A lot of it fits with what was going on between Dave and the band at that time.

------------------
Could this be magic?

**dropdeadlegs** · 03.09.00, 11:02 AM

Thanks z28girl, that actually makes alot of since.

Dropdeadlegs

**redfire** · 03.09.00, 03:13 PM

My brother House of Pain knows. I think its talkin about someone not giving everything they've got. Hence 5150. The lyrics,"Always one more. You're never satisfied. Never one for all with you. Its only one for me. So why draw the line? Meet you half the way. And you don't know what that means." Now that be said, one other thing is that 5150 is the criminally insane code in either California or LA.

------------------
Eat Us And Smile!

The self-proclaimed Heart Break Kid of VHLinks.

**paradiddle** · 03.09.00, 03:24 PM

LAPD code for escaped criminally insane. *BeepBeepBeep* attention all units, reports of a 5150 seen in Hollywood Hills area, approach with caution and a twinkie.

------------------
RLRR LRLL

**Olen** · 03.09.00, 08:11 PM

To echo what redfire stated, I would say that the song is about someone who does not compromise in a relationship.

Now, since Hagar wrote the lyrics, perhaps he was interpreting the 'Dave-Band' relationship by what Ed, Al and Mike were relating to him. If that is so, these lyrics are pretty good (not saying they are accurate in what actually transpired, but 'good' in the sense that it reflects the feelings of Ed, Al, and Mike).

------------------
Its a prehistoric fish...Coelacanth.

**THE MARD** · 03.10.00, 07:22 AM

GOOD POST!

I love that song...

**Glenn** · 03.10.00, 05:35 PM

Frankly, I'm happy not to know exactly what it's about. I love a song where certain lyrics just hit you like they were meant for you alone. That obviously depends on what's going on in your life at any particular time. 5150 is a great song, even though I don't know what it's about.

**THE MARD** · 03.11.00, 12:30 PM

YEP! I also love the ending! Not too many people can hit that high note, eh?

**Glenn** · 03.11.00, 12:34 PM

Definately Sammy at his best.

**vh3fan** · 09.03.00, 03:03 PM

just an great van halen song! im not gonna over analyze this one! 3

------------------
UP FRONT FANATICS

vh3fan aka the not so alone warrior
" a good soldier is always prepared during the times of peace"

"loved by many hated by few"

"buying my way into 5150"

**Lead Synth** · 09.06.00, 01:51 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Glenn:
I love a song where certain lyrics just hit you like they were meant for you alone. That obviously depends on what's going on in your life at any particular time.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I always thought the song was cool, but I never quite knew what the words meant until I found myself in a situation that seemed to fit the words.

I think Olen hit the nail on the head when he said "an uncompromising relationship."

I can't get inside Sammy's or Eddie's head, so I really can't say what was behind those lyrics, but to me they mean:

"Always one more, you're never satisfied."
You're dealing with someone who always wants to go a little bit farther than you in a relationship...no matter what you do, it's not enough, they want more.

"Never one for all with you, it's only one for me."
They're thinking of their own interests instead of the interests of both of you together.

"So why draw the line? Meet you half the way."
You don't want to be that serious or tied down by hard and fast rules. You want to either stay together and have a more casual relationship, or go back to being friends. Either way, you don't want to close any doors. You don't want to rush things for now.

"And you don't know what that means."
So you tell them so, and instead of loosening the ropes, they totally turn on you. The other person doesn't want to wait around for you. They need to know now. They want either all or nothing, and if they can't have all, then they want nothing to do with you. So they don't understand your reasoning.

That's just my interpretation...it's kind of hard to put into words! ...Sometimes after you've heard a song hundreds of times, you stop paying attention to the words anymore, and then one day you hear it again and for some reason, this time, something just clicks for you and you understand the words...

------------------
Dirty Faced Kids...the hope of the future!
"1989" - Maya's Van Halen Page
Offical Designated Driver for the Atomic Drunks...where everybody knows your screen name.

**TDR** · 09.06.00, 04:49 AM

I'm with Olen. I always figured it was about Dave from the band's perspective. That he'd never meet them half way and they felt they had to compromise to his opinion. We all know Dave is opinionated. Like how Ed hated covers, but Diver Down was "Dave's Album", 'cos they went along with what he wanted 'cos he wouldn't back down...

------------------
Leading the Slawterhouse Security on Holiday...
_________________________
The bad news is that we have lost our way. But the good news is we are WAY ahead of schedule!
_________________________
I learned a lesson baby, and it left a scar. But now I see how you really are...