Ricky was a young boy
He had a heart of stone
Lived nine to five and worked his fingers to the bone

Just barely out of school
Came from the edge of town
Fought like a switchblade so no one could take him down

He had no money, oh
No good at home
He walked the streets a soldier
And he fought the world alone and now it's

Eighteen and life you got it
Eighteen and life you know
Your crime is time and it's
Eighteen and life to go
Eighteen and life you got it
Eighteen and life you know
Your crime is time and it's
Eighteen and life to go

Tequila in his heartbeat
His veins burned gasoline
It kept his motor runnin'
But he never kept it clean

They say he loved adventure
Ricky's the wild one
He married trouble
Had a courtship with a gun

Bang, bang, shoot 'em up
The party never ends
You can't think of dying when the bottle's your best friend
And now it's

Eighteen and life you got it
Eighteen and life you know
Your crime is time and it's
Eighteen and life to go
Eighteen and life you got it
Eighteen and life you know
Your crime is time and it's
Eighteen and life to go

Accidents will happen
They all heard Ricky say
He fired his six-shot to the wind
That child blew a child away

Eighteen and life you got it
Eighteen and life you know
Your crime is time and it's
Eighteen and life to go
Eighteen and life you got it
Eighteen and life you know
Your crime is time and it's
Eighteen and life to go, yeah
Oh, oh


Lyrics submitted by numb

18 And Life Lyrics as written by Rachel Southworth David Sabo

Lyrics © ROUND HILL CARLIN, LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

18 And Life song meanings
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45 Comments

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  • +9
    General Comment

    i saw this on wikipedia 16.07.2010

    "The song was written by guitarist Dave Sabo after he read a newspaper article about an 18 year old named Ricky who was sentenced to life imprisonment for shooting and killing his friend with a gun he thought was unloaded"

    maggi220on July 16, 2010   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I dont think 18 and life means he is 18 and is doing life in jail i think it means hes 18 and is trapped on that way of thinking for life because in the official video of it you see at the end that his cell door isnt closed and is wide open and he just sits there

    SpikedYumon December 20, 2010   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    Best song From Skid Row, ever. And I heard them all.

    the Edgeon April 05, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    My uncle gave me a record of these guys like 10 yrs ago and gave me there tapes like 4 and i heard this song, it reminded me of my buddy, he just got out of school hardcore fucker, drank everynight, shot up alot, smoked crack dope, he was all into that shit, and tequila was his #1 drink, and one night we were sitting around a fire, and we all had a bottle of Jack Danniels and a beer can comes flying over the fence and we go and look to see who it was, and it was some fucking wiggers, so the dumb ass my buddy was starts chasing after them and he was gone for an hr so my other buddy wa slike where the fuck is he lets go check on him, we drove around for like 1 hr and we found him in a park fucking crying, he killed a fucking 14 yr old, he was 20 and yeah hes in jail till hes 90 and i dont think hes gonna make it, learn from a fools mistakes not your own

    oldskoolpunker23on February 09, 2005   Link
  • +2
    Song Meaning

    18 and life - 18 years old, serving a life sentence. simples

    dalley93on July 15, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    You got that right edge. Skid Row was a damn good band. Ricky went to jail though. Thats what they meant by "18 and life." Its too bad though, he had his whole life in front of him, and he didn't get to live to see the things that we have now. Poor kid.

    aceticaon July 05, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Too bad an awesome band like Skid Row will forever be associated with 80's hair. They deserve a much better fate. Really more in the category of Guns and Roses, and had they stuck around longer they probably would have given Gn'R a run for their money.

    ZeeQuickon July 26, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    A song that will always be a classic and relavent to people's lives for years to come

    afi808on October 13, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    When I personally heard this song for the first time, I figured it was about finishing high school, and now having the rest of your life waiting for you. Anticipating your unknown destiny and finding your identity's to speak. I relate it to Trapt's song "Still Frame". Watching the video and re-reading the lyrics, the song basically relates to a hard-life outsider (Ricky) who acted and lived tough, and that same recklessness got him a life sentence, with no chance to correct his naive youth-teenage lifestyle. Goes to show, some people don't get second chances in life.

    Fiddzon December 04, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    You think this is one of those ordinary songs but its not people do not do not realize the song lyrics but this song is awesome

    beastieboyon June 02, 2004   Link

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