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're playing deadly games
By dumping toxic waste
Pollution everywhere
More disease, more cancer
Corporations are killing us
Just so they can make more profits
Instead of disposing waste properly
They cut their costs and dump it in the sea
I went down to the beach
Medical waste under my feet
Raw sewage oil spills
Poisonous chemicals
Big business and the media go hand in hand
So they make it seem like it's not so bad
Another example of the corporate lies
Money is more important than human lives, its sick
When will they realize money istheir cancerous disease
They are poisoning us with their own self greed
People invent different ways to power cities
Oil companies wouldn't needed
They won't let this happen
So they buy up patents and lock them away
Shit like this happens everyday
It doesn't matter we're destroying the earth
They just want their money so profit comes first
Nuclear waste radiation
Are just minor complications
The cancer rate is rising more people are dying
Boards of industry are tied to research
They cover up facts they don't want us to see
The death toll from populations on the rise
This is something they keep trying to deny, it's sick
When will they realize money is their cancerous disease
They are poisoning us with their own self greed
By dumping toxic waste
Pollution everywhere
More disease, more cancer
Corporations are killing us
Just so they can make more profits
Instead of disposing waste properly
They cut their costs and dump it in the sea
I went down to the beach
Medical waste under my feet
Raw sewage oil spills
Poisonous chemicals
Big business and the media go hand in hand
So they make it seem like it's not so bad
Another example of the corporate lies
Money is more important than human lives, its sick
When will they realize money istheir cancerous disease
They are poisoning us with their own self greed
People invent different ways to power cities
Oil companies wouldn't needed
They won't let this happen
So they buy up patents and lock them away
Shit like this happens everyday
It doesn't matter we're destroying the earth
They just want their money so profit comes first
Nuclear waste radiation
Are just minor complications
The cancer rate is rising more people are dying
Boards of industry are tied to research
They cover up facts they don't want us to see
The death toll from populations on the rise
This is something they keep trying to deny, it's sick
When will they realize money is their cancerous disease
They are poisoning us with their own self greed
Lyrics submitted by bikiniekillgrrrl
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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.”
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