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.
A lonesome fear
A hungry face
A barren pain
A dream unchaste
Oh, I can't wait until the day
there's sunshine in their eyes
A prayer is heard
By one so small
Let love be in the hearts of all
Oh, I can't wait until the day
there's sunshine in their eyes
You and I may never see them cry
Or wonder why the world's so cold
(You feel that we're too young)
(To take a look around)
But in their faces I can see the trouble all around
Today, we must turn into lies
The truth already in their minds
Oh, I can't wait until the day
there's sunshine in their eyes
He can't wait to see the day there's sunshine in their eyes
Ah, no, no
There's sunshine in their eyes, mmm
Oh, my mother's worried 'cause she feels the world is ending
She believes that everything is coming to an end
Papa's bein' real careful 'cause his brother Sam was robbed
Trying to buy just a loaf of bread for baby John
See how the world escaped
All the streets turning bare
Most of the news is bad
Crime just speeds in the air
Sad is the song
Rolling along
Everything is happening
Wit is the tune
Are we all doomed?
Everything is happening
Cost of living's up, but the pay is low down
Hate to see the babies starve 'cause momma can't be found
Sister lives alone, bolts and chains the door at night
Never ever walks an alley or a shorter way
See how the world escaped
All the streets turning bare
Most of the news is bad
Crime just speeds in the air
Sad is the song
Rolling along
Everything is happening
Wit is the tune
Are we all doomed?
Everything is happening
Father Bill's gone fighting in a place where he's a stranger
But good men die a stranger in every war
We all hide in shame, boldly point to another
When the blame we know for sure is right in ourselves
in ourselves, in ourselves, in ourselves, in ourselves
Sad is the song
Rolling along
Everything is happening
Wit is the tune
Are we all doomed?
Everything is happening
Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Everybody say it now
Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Ah
Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Ow, yeah
Da, da, da, da, da (hey, right here)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Ah
Da, da, da, da, da (get it)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da (everybody get with it)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Oh, baby
Da, da, da, da, da (hey, get it)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da (everybody get with it, hey)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da (get your thing together, yeah, yeah)
Da, da, da, da, da (yeah, yeah)
A hungry face
A barren pain
A dream unchaste
Oh, I can't wait until the day
there's sunshine in their eyes
A prayer is heard
By one so small
Let love be in the hearts of all
Oh, I can't wait until the day
there's sunshine in their eyes
You and I may never see them cry
Or wonder why the world's so cold
(You feel that we're too young)
(To take a look around)
But in their faces I can see the trouble all around
Today, we must turn into lies
The truth already in their minds
Oh, I can't wait until the day
there's sunshine in their eyes
He can't wait to see the day there's sunshine in their eyes
Ah, no, no
There's sunshine in their eyes, mmm
Oh, my mother's worried 'cause she feels the world is ending
She believes that everything is coming to an end
Papa's bein' real careful 'cause his brother Sam was robbed
Trying to buy just a loaf of bread for baby John
See how the world escaped
All the streets turning bare
Most of the news is bad
Crime just speeds in the air
Sad is the song
Rolling along
Everything is happening
Wit is the tune
Are we all doomed?
Everything is happening
Cost of living's up, but the pay is low down
Hate to see the babies starve 'cause momma can't be found
Sister lives alone, bolts and chains the door at night
Never ever walks an alley or a shorter way
See how the world escaped
All the streets turning bare
Most of the news is bad
Crime just speeds in the air
Sad is the song
Rolling along
Everything is happening
Wit is the tune
Are we all doomed?
Everything is happening
Father Bill's gone fighting in a place where he's a stranger
But good men die a stranger in every war
We all hide in shame, boldly point to another
When the blame we know for sure is right in ourselves
in ourselves, in ourselves, in ourselves, in ourselves
Sad is the song
Rolling along
Everything is happening
Wit is the tune
Are we all doomed?
Everything is happening
Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Everybody say it now
Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Ah
Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Ow, yeah
Da, da, da, da, da (hey, right here)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Ah
Da, da, da, da, da (get it)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da (everybody get with it)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da
Oh, baby
Da, da, da, da, da (hey, get it)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da (everybody get with it, hey)
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da (get your thing together, yeah, yeah)
Da, da, da, da, da (yeah, yeah)
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