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.
We are what we're supposed to be
Illusions of your fantasy
All dots and lines that speak and say
What we do is what you wish to do
We are the cartoon symphony
We do the things you want to see
Frame by frame, to the extreme
Our friends are so unreasonable
They do the unpredictable
All dots and lines that speak and say
What we do is what you wish to do
It's all an orchestra of strings,
Doing unbelievable things
Frame by frame, to the extreme
One by one, we're making it fun
We are the cartoon heroes, oh,
We are the ones who're gonna last forever
We came out of a crazy mind, oh,
And walked out on a piece of paper
Here comes Spiderman, an arachnophobian
Welcome to the toon town party
Here comes superman from never-never land
Welcome to the toon town party
We learn to run at speed of light
And to fall down from many heights
It's true but just remember that
What we do is what you just can't do
I know the route of craziness
A bunch of dots that's chasin' us
Frame by frame, to the extreme
One by one, we're making it fun
We are the cartoon heroes, oh,
We are the ones who're gonna last forever
We came out of a crazy mind, oh,
And walked out on a piece of paper
Here comes Spiderman, an arachnophobian
Welcome to the toon town party
Here comes superman from never-never land
Welcome to the toon town party
You'll think we're so mysterious
Don't take us all too serious
Be original, and remember that
What we do is what you just can can't do
(What we do is what you just can't do)
(What we do is what you just can't do)
(What we do is what you just can't do)
(What we do is what you just can't do)
We are the cartoon heroes, oh,
We are the ones who're gonna last forever
We came out of a crazy mind, oh,
And walked out on a piece of paper
There's still more to come,
And everyone will be
Welcomed at the
Toon (toon)
Town (town)
Party!
Illusions of your fantasy
All dots and lines that speak and say
What we do is what you wish to do
We are the cartoon symphony
We do the things you want to see
Frame by frame, to the extreme
Our friends are so unreasonable
They do the unpredictable
All dots and lines that speak and say
What we do is what you wish to do
It's all an orchestra of strings,
Doing unbelievable things
Frame by frame, to the extreme
One by one, we're making it fun
We are the cartoon heroes, oh,
We are the ones who're gonna last forever
We came out of a crazy mind, oh,
And walked out on a piece of paper
Here comes Spiderman, an arachnophobian
Welcome to the toon town party
Here comes superman from never-never land
Welcome to the toon town party
We learn to run at speed of light
And to fall down from many heights
It's true but just remember that
What we do is what you just can't do
I know the route of craziness
A bunch of dots that's chasin' us
Frame by frame, to the extreme
One by one, we're making it fun
We are the cartoon heroes, oh,
We are the ones who're gonna last forever
We came out of a crazy mind, oh,
And walked out on a piece of paper
Here comes Spiderman, an arachnophobian
Welcome to the toon town party
Here comes superman from never-never land
Welcome to the toon town party
You'll think we're so mysterious
Don't take us all too serious
Be original, and remember that
What we do is what you just can can't do
(What we do is what you just can't do)
(What we do is what you just can't do)
(What we do is what you just can't do)
(What we do is what you just can't do)
We are the cartoon heroes, oh,
We are the ones who're gonna last forever
We came out of a crazy mind, oh,
And walked out on a piece of paper
There's still more to come,
And everyone will be
Welcomed at the
Toon (toon)
Town (town)
Party!
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The lyrics for this are kind of haunting.
First of all, I think the second stanza is from the point of view of the comic book artists; their 'friends' (creations) are unreasonable and are always on a bout how they can "do what you wish to do". The rest of the song is from the point of view of the idealised creations.
"Frame by frame, to the extreme, One by one we're making it fun." In the second verse, the artist controls what the superheroes do. It is the artist that makes it fun. By the time this is repeated in the third verse it's like the superheroes have a life of their own and they are the ones in control, making it fun.
I like the orchestral/opera/'prude' music themes that are repeated. "...We are the colour symphony..." "...It's an orchestra of strings..." "...An opera of craziness..." This is really quite clever imo.
I think the song as a whole is about telling people they can't. Kinda like what @AquarianRose was saying. It may not even be about cartoon superheroes, maybe just the people that one has in the place of a superhero; someone that one thinks is better than them. Maybe a popular kid, celebrity, but I like to think of it as someone that is admired from afar (platonically) because everything looks perfect from far away. Or maybe someone that is just a natural at everything they do. It's kinda saying, stop trying; I can do this, you can't, but you wish you were me. It's kind of arrogant. Almost boasting. "We learn to run at speed of light, and to fall down from any height It's true but just remember that - what we do is what you just can't do" It's actually impossible for you to be what they are. They are either a different species from you "arachnophobian", or are from some where else "never never land" (note "never") And to top it off, they're immortal. But only in the minds of their generation. They'll be forgotten to humankind as a whole, but to you personally, they're live forever, haunting you for eternity, reminding you what you can never be, no matter how hard you try..
Kinda sad really. I fucking love it.