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.
Planet left by its god
Ideology died and the vision is gone
Oppression part of the plot
Degrading life into material force
Emptiness pain in their faces
Vicious expression of purest hate
Nightmares fulfill
Nightmares fulfill
Grotesque abstraction
Deformed lost in their fate
Lunatics murder without any reason
A killer instinct that enslaves
Endangered dying species for societies
Fabric nameless tools lost their face
Atrocity conquered the mind
Decadent deligation repulsive elite
Violent emotionless time
Decade of militant brutal prestige
Emptiness pain in their faces
Vicious expression of purest hate
Nightmares fulfill
Grotesque abstraction deformed
Lost in their fate
Lunatics murder without any reason
A killer instinct that enslaves
Endangered dying species for
Society's fabric nameless tools
Lost their face
Descent to the void
Human vultures of the soul
Impurity destroyed
A new religion of control
Bizarre moral catastrophe
Wasteland left by the almighty
Mind war of freezing fear
A new kingdom of terror is here
Screaming dying from inside
Slave to the master of all lies
Desperate men turn into beasts
Scavengers of cancerous disease
Paradise was only an illusion
Hell on earth became so real
A place the ancient ones forgot
Hordes of men without God
Ideology died and the vision is gone
Oppression part of the plot
Degrading life into material force
Emptiness pain in their faces
Vicious expression of purest hate
Nightmares fulfill
Nightmares fulfill
Grotesque abstraction
Deformed lost in their fate
Lunatics murder without any reason
A killer instinct that enslaves
Endangered dying species for societies
Fabric nameless tools lost their face
Atrocity conquered the mind
Decadent deligation repulsive elite
Violent emotionless time
Decade of militant brutal prestige
Emptiness pain in their faces
Vicious expression of purest hate
Nightmares fulfill
Grotesque abstraction deformed
Lost in their fate
Lunatics murder without any reason
A killer instinct that enslaves
Endangered dying species for
Society's fabric nameless tools
Lost their face
Descent to the void
Human vultures of the soul
Impurity destroyed
A new religion of control
Bizarre moral catastrophe
Wasteland left by the almighty
Mind war of freezing fear
A new kingdom of terror is here
Screaming dying from inside
Slave to the master of all lies
Desperate men turn into beasts
Scavengers of cancerous disease
Paradise was only an illusion
Hell on earth became so real
A place the ancient ones forgot
Hordes of men without God
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Light Up The Sky
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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