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.
Her father was a failure, her mother was a comfort to a doctor
And lawyer and Indian chief, the shirt ran out of buttons
He lost all his marbles at a baseball game and they went on relief
The bank took away their diplomas, they locked them up inside
Of the chest and she moved away to Oklahoma
And got a tattoo on the side of her breast, God damn
My socks are still hard from lying on the sofa on the night
She was over in my backyard, yeah, we was shooting the breeze out
Amongst the trees when a shot rang low and left her standing
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
Father have mercy, get her a nurse please, she's almost alone
I saw her hand reaching out for the telephone, we rather see her
Locked up inside a home than see her standing
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
Headlights flashing on her skirt in the wind, yonder comes a truck
It drove by two men, shotgun man leaned out and said
"Do you want to take a ride?" Out in the pale moonlight light
Light light lie lie lie lie
Too long in the hot sun, she could've be miss Wisconsin
A long time ago, spent to much time inside of the early show
We'd bought her a ticket but she didn't want to go she was standing
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
Headlights flashing, caught a skirt in the wind, yonder comes a truck
It drove by two men, shotgun man leaned out and said
"Do you want to take a ride?" Out in through the pale moonlight
Her father was a failure, her mother was a comfort to a doctor
And lawyer and Indian chief, the shirt ran out of buttons
He lost all his marbles at a baseball game and they went on relief
The bank took away their diplomas, they locked them up inside
Of the chest and she moved away to Oklahoma
And got a tattoo on the side of her breast, God damn
My socks are still hard from lying on the sofa on the night
She was over in my backyard, yeah, we was shooting the breeze out
Amongst the trees, when a shot rang low and left her standing
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
And lawyer and Indian chief, the shirt ran out of buttons
He lost all his marbles at a baseball game and they went on relief
The bank took away their diplomas, they locked them up inside
Of the chest and she moved away to Oklahoma
And got a tattoo on the side of her breast, God damn
My socks are still hard from lying on the sofa on the night
She was over in my backyard, yeah, we was shooting the breeze out
Amongst the trees when a shot rang low and left her standing
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
Father have mercy, get her a nurse please, she's almost alone
I saw her hand reaching out for the telephone, we rather see her
Locked up inside a home than see her standing
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
Headlights flashing on her skirt in the wind, yonder comes a truck
It drove by two men, shotgun man leaned out and said
"Do you want to take a ride?" Out in the pale moonlight light
Light light lie lie lie lie
Too long in the hot sun, she could've be miss Wisconsin
A long time ago, spent to much time inside of the early show
We'd bought her a ticket but she didn't want to go she was standing
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
Headlights flashing, caught a skirt in the wind, yonder comes a truck
It drove by two men, shotgun man leaned out and said
"Do you want to take a ride?" Out in through the pale moonlight
Her father was a failure, her mother was a comfort to a doctor
And lawyer and Indian chief, the shirt ran out of buttons
He lost all his marbles at a baseball game and they went on relief
The bank took away their diplomas, they locked them up inside
Of the chest and she moved away to Oklahoma
And got a tattoo on the side of her breast, God damn
My socks are still hard from lying on the sofa on the night
She was over in my backyard, yeah, we was shooting the breeze out
Amongst the trees, when a shot rang low and left her standing
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
Down by the side of the road, down by the side of the road
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a male friend of the daughter is shot and dying. he has concerns for her, she has nobody else. he wants her to have a nurse instead of himself. the truck is his pathway to death and seperation.