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.
High on diesel and gasoline
Psycho for drum machine
Shaking their bits to the hits, oh oh
Drag acts, drug acts, suicides
In your dad's suits you hide
Staining his name again
Cracked up, stacked up, twenty-two
Psycho for sex and glue
Lost it to Bostik, yeah
Shaved heads, rave heads, on the pill
Got too much time to kill
Get into bands and gangs, oh
Here they come
The beautiful ones
The beautiful ones
La la la la
Here they come
The beautiful ones
The beautiful ones
La la la la la
La la, loved up, doved up, hung around
Stoned in a lonely town
Shaking their meat to the beat
High on diesel and gasoline
Psycho for drum machine
Shaking their bits to the hits, oh
Here they come
The beautiful ones
The beautiful ones
La la la la
Here they come
The beautiful ones
The beautiful ones
Oh, you don't think about it
You don't do without it
Because you're beautiful, yeah yeah
And if your baby's are going crazy
That's how you made me, la la
And if your baby's are going crazy
That's how you made me, woah oh
And if your baby's are going crazy
That's how you made me
La la la la la
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
Psycho for drum machine
Shaking their bits to the hits, oh oh
Drag acts, drug acts, suicides
In your dad's suits you hide
Staining his name again
Cracked up, stacked up, twenty-two
Psycho for sex and glue
Lost it to Bostik, yeah
Shaved heads, rave heads, on the pill
Got too much time to kill
Get into bands and gangs, oh
Here they come
The beautiful ones
The beautiful ones
La la la la
Here they come
The beautiful ones
The beautiful ones
La la la la la
La la, loved up, doved up, hung around
Stoned in a lonely town
Shaking their meat to the beat
High on diesel and gasoline
Psycho for drum machine
Shaking their bits to the hits, oh
Here they come
The beautiful ones
The beautiful ones
La la la la
Here they come
The beautiful ones
The beautiful ones
Oh, you don't think about it
You don't do without it
Because you're beautiful, yeah yeah
And if your baby's are going crazy
That's how you made me, la la
And if your baby's are going crazy
That's how you made me, woah oh
And if your baby's are going crazy
That's how you made me
La la la la la
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
La la, la la la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la, la la la, oh
Lyrics submitted by 3ssence, edited by manic4manics
Beautiful Ones Lyrics as written by Brett Lewis Anderson Richard John Oakes
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think it's a sarcastic take on todays generation, how shallow youth is, and how hollow
I've always thought it was much more about being young and having nothing to do and nowhere to go. Altho I can see what you mean. Just the fact that its "high on diesel and gasoline" and "Lost it to bostik" Its about sniffing glue etc not really a past time of the rick. Sniffing glue is what all the punks who were too poor for nething else used to do.
It also talks about getting into bands and gangs. I dunno maybe rich kids hang round in gangs but that kind of activity has always seemed to be a last resort for lack of nething else to do u hang out in parks getting drunk on cheap booze.
It all seems quite low class cos its talking about not fancy bars and trendy clubs but raving. And shaving ur head well skinheads aren't really higly rated in social scales.
But to be honest I dunno I've just always thought it was about living like where I live. Not posh ppl. I've always thought it was just about being young and fucked up and the beauty that comes with youth even if its all a mess. And the bit about "and if your babys going crazy.." is just saying mum and dad its ur fault I'm wasting my life away.
Think its about 'beautiful' people and the fact it doesnt matter what they do they are still the 'beautiful ones' and i do feel there is a bit of a suggestion that beautiful people seem 2 be the popular ones
I remember reading--maybe on essentialsuede--that Brett Anderson said it was about growing up in a tiny town with fuckall to do. "You were either in a band or in a gang!"
So in short, I think Perfect Wh()re nailed it.
i think it's about rich kids in general. people don't deserving to bee rich and famous but thinks they're reallt hip because they got money
i can really identify with this song. i live in a shitty little town and this is exactly what goes on. not much else to do
I think it's a sarcastic take on todays generation, not how shallow youth is, and how hollow, he is talking about all the crazy things that all young men do all over the world in any social class , and thats what makes them beautiful at least to brett well i still remember those days how daring an funny my young persona was
about trying to be everything, not because you like it, but trying to fit in with everyone? "beautiful" "bostik" "shaveheads" "bands" "gangs". just an idea
To me, this has nothing to do with todays youth, considering how long ago this song came out, as well as how pretty much every generation gets called shallow/hollow at some point, all the way back to ancient Greece.
But rather, growing up in a small town, nothing to do but get into gangs, bands or just be stoned. Then seeing 'the beautiful ones'. Upper city twats who had a better town and better start to life, who just make you crazy, because they feel like they've got the same problems as you.
I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with THIS, or any generation in particular.
Song is having a take on the generation (back then). However it can be replayed with a hindsight perspective as part of a growing up journey; reminiscing back to the time whether one would be part of bands / gangs etc in which the experience is still indeed unique / beautiful regardless.