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.
Warning, warning, nuclear attack
Atomic sounds designed to blow your mind
World war three - Nuclear attack
Rocking atomically - This third world war - Atomic sounds
The man in black he told me the latest Moscow news about the storm across the red sea
They drove their ball point views
I'm the man in grey, I'm just the man at C & A
And I don't have a say in the war games that they play
Warning, warning, nuclear attack
Shark attack to hit you on your back
World war three
The Mickey Mouse badge told the Ayatollah at his feet
You drink your oil you schmuck, we'll eat our heads of wheat
I'm the man in grey, I'm just the man at C & A
And I don't have a say in the war games that they play
Boom shakalaka boom
Nuclear nuclear, nuclear war
Warning, warning, nuclear attack
The boom never ban
Shark attack
Atomic sounds designed to blow your mind
World war three - Nuclear attack
Rocking atomically - This third world war - Atomic sounds
The man in black he told me the latest Moscow news about the storm across the red sea
They drove their ball point views
I'm the man in grey, I'm just the man at C & A
And I don't have a say in the war games that they play
Warning, warning, nuclear attack
Shark attack to hit you on your back
World war three
The Mickey Mouse badge told the Ayatollah at his feet
You drink your oil you schmuck, we'll eat our heads of wheat
I'm the man in grey, I'm just the man at C & A
And I don't have a say in the war games that they play
Boom shakalaka boom
Nuclear nuclear, nuclear war
Warning, warning, nuclear attack
The boom never ban
Shark attack
Lyrics submitted by BeautifulDisaster
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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Dealing with the, then (1980) very real threat of nuclear war and how helpless the regular person would be, as well as the general fear of war, conflict and the U.S.
The Mickey Mouse/Ayatollah section could be a reference to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and the American embassy hostages. That shit went down in February 1980, a good six months before More Specials (this song's album) came out. An Ayatollah is a high ranking Islamic cleric.
Oh and C&A was a cheap clothing chain store in (amongst other places) the U.K. and Europe. The sort of place a normal bod would work and/or shop.