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.
They got money, they got sun
They look like they're havin' fun
Don't it seem it's so unfair
They know something you don't know
They've got a better place to go
They're thin and rich and they don't care
We get the dreams that we deserve
The magazines that we deserve
Page one and three that we deserve
The joy and the pain that we deserve
The sun and the rain that we deserve
The material gain that we deserve
We get what we deserve
They got tension, they got stress
They got their lives in the press
The whole world stares as they undress
Sold their friends to get ahead
They do therapy instead
They've got demons in their bed
We get the toys that we deserve
The quiet and the noise that we deserve
The girls and the boys that we deserve
We get what we want if we really want it
We get what we want if we're really honest
You know what you are
You know what you want
You know what you deserve
We get the seas that we deserve
The flowers and the trees that we deserve
The spores on the breeze that we deserve
We get what we want if we really want it
We get what we want if we're really honest
You know what you are
You know what you want
You know what you deserve
You deserve
We get what we deserve
We deserve
They look like they're havin' fun
Don't it seem it's so unfair
They know something you don't know
They've got a better place to go
They're thin and rich and they don't care
We get the dreams that we deserve
The magazines that we deserve
Page one and three that we deserve
The joy and the pain that we deserve
The sun and the rain that we deserve
The material gain that we deserve
We get what we deserve
They got tension, they got stress
They got their lives in the press
The whole world stares as they undress
Sold their friends to get ahead
They do therapy instead
They've got demons in their bed
We get the toys that we deserve
The quiet and the noise that we deserve
The girls and the boys that we deserve
We get what we want if we really want it
We get what we want if we're really honest
You know what you are
You know what you want
You know what you deserve
We get the seas that we deserve
The flowers and the trees that we deserve
The spores on the breeze that we deserve
We get what we want if we really want it
We get what we want if we're really honest
You know what you are
You know what you want
You know what you deserve
You deserve
We get what we deserve
We deserve
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