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.
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Caution is a word that I can't understand
Caution is a word that I can't understand
C-A-U-T-I-O-N is a word I could not understand
Walked the dog with a real short leash
Turned around, saw the dog walk me
Stainless steel and painted glass
Give me a pulse like a hammer and a mind to match
No relief, no food, no sleep
When you're king for a day, you're a whore for a week
(All right)
Caution is a word that I can't understand
Ah, caution is a word that I can't understand
C-A-U-T-I-O-N is a word I could not understand
Walked the dog with a real short leash
Turned around, saw the dog walk me
Stainless steel and painted glass
Give me a pulse like a hammer and a mind to match
No relief, no food, no sleep
When you're king for a day, you're a whore for a week
(Yeah)
Caution is a word that I can't understand
Caution is a word that I can't understand
I didn't get it then
I think I got it now
Caution, my friend
Don't step in the water 'til you know you can swim
Caution is a word that I can't understand
Caution is a word that I can't understand
(Yeah, caution)
Can't understand
(Yeah, caution)
Can't understand
Caution is a word that I can't understand
Caution is a word that I can't understand
C-A-U-T-I-O-N is a word I could not understand
Walked the dog with a real short leash
Turned around, saw the dog walk me
Stainless steel and painted glass
Give me a pulse like a hammer and a mind to match
No relief, no food, no sleep
When you're king for a day, you're a whore for a week
(All right)
Caution is a word that I can't understand
Ah, caution is a word that I can't understand
C-A-U-T-I-O-N is a word I could not understand
Walked the dog with a real short leash
Turned around, saw the dog walk me
Stainless steel and painted glass
Give me a pulse like a hammer and a mind to match
No relief, no food, no sleep
When you're king for a day, you're a whore for a week
(Yeah)
Caution is a word that I can't understand
Caution is a word that I can't understand
I didn't get it then
I think I got it now
Caution, my friend
Don't step in the water 'til you know you can swim
Caution is a word that I can't understand
Caution is a word that I can't understand
(Yeah, caution)
Can't understand
(Yeah, caution)
Can't understand
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c-a-u-t-i-o-n is a word that i cant understand
I think this song is about drug use, quite possibly cocaine. "a pulse like a hammer and a mind to match, no relief no food no sleep" sounds like he's getting high off uppers, no doubt. "when you're a king for a day you're a whore for a week" is the great high you have but the awful comedown afterwards.
antispace, i completely disagree with you.
operation ivy's lyrics are usually much deeper than drugs, and i'm pretty sure none of them were druggies.
this song seems to be about carpe diem, not drugs.
i think antispace is absolutely correct.
skaboss, op ivy didn't write this song to condone or promote drug use-- if anything, it's a warning. it's about someone who wasn't cautious and started taking drugs, and then it got out of hand ("turned around, saw the dog walk me"). then he learns his lesson and offers some advice: "i didn't get it then/ i think i got it now... don't step in the water til you know you can swim".
don't kid yourself; op ivy weren't as deep as you think. they simply wrote very smart, insightful lyrics, often about urban issues. drug abuse is as good a topic as any.
can anybody guess as to what he means by "stainless steel and painted glass"?
I always thought stainless steel on painted glass was a reference to preparation of drugs. Either the kind of surfaces in toilets or bathrooms or stainless steel blades, mirror, that kind of thing.
I thought of a pipe for "painted glass", but nothing specific for stainless steel. So that works with the drug theory.
it seems to work for drugs, but I think this pattern in seen in all kinds of ways.
i think the steel and glass could mean something about a syringe if the song really is about drug use
I can see hoe it can be looked on as a drug influenced song, but to be honest I agree with skaboss it has always stood out to me as more of a carpe diem idea, I look at it as a postive energy filled song of awesome :D
I agree that this song is about drug use.
Everyone thinks they dont have a problem when doing drugs and that they can controll their use(walked dog on a real short leash) but in hind sight addicts really don't (turned around saw the dog walk me)
Stainless steel and painted glass i think refers to spoons (sterling silver = stainless steel)(use spoons to free base) and pyrex pipes, bowls and bongs (painted glass) which is used to consume drugs.
The rest of the lyrics describe the feelings of being high and coming down from it(a pulse like a hammer and a mind to match no relief no food no sleep when you're king for a day you're a whore for a week)
And the last bit is about finally getting clean and telling his story through this song as a warning to us, to have caution when using, cuz they've been there before. Caution was a word he couldn't understand (when he started or someone in the group started) but he's got it now (that he's off of it). Brings it all full circle.