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.
Why haven't you learned anything?
Man that school shit is a joke
The same people who control the school system
Control the prison system,
And the whole social system
Ever since slavery, know what I'm sayin'?
I went to school with some redneck crackers
Right around the time 3rd Bass dropped the cactus album
But I was readin Malcolm
I changed my name in '89 cleaning parts of my brain
Like a baby nine
I took a history class serious
Front row, every day of the week, 3rd period
Fuckin' with the teachers had, callin' 'em racist
I tried to show them crackers some light, they couldn't face it
I got my diploma from a school called Rickers
Full of, teenage mothers, and drug dealin' niggas
In the hallways, the popo was always present
Searchin' through niggas possessions
Lookin' for, dope and weapons, get your lessons
That's why my moms kept stressin'
I tried to pay attention but they classes wasn't interestin'
They seemed to only glorify the Europeans
Claimin' Africans were only three-fifths a human being
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we tryin' to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Tellin' me white man lies, straight bullshit (bullshit)
They schools ain't teachin' us
What we need to know to survive (say what, say what)
They schools don't educate
All they teach the people is lies
You see dog, you see how quick these motherfuckers be to like
Be tellin' niggas get a diploma so you can get a job
Know what I'm sayin'? But they don't never tell you how the job
Gonna exploit you every time, know what I'm sayin'?
That's why I be like 'Fuck they schools!'
School is like a 12-step brainwash camp
They make you think if you drop out you ain't got a chance
To advance in life, they try to make you pull your pants up
Students fight the teachers and get took away in handcuffs
And if that wasn't enough, then they expel y'all
Your peoples understand it but to them, you a failure
Observation and participation, my favorite teachers
When they beat us in the head with them books, it don't reach us
Whether you breakdance or rock suede Adidas
Or be in the bathroom with your clique, smokin' reefer
Then you know they math class ain't important 'less you addin' up cash
In multiples, unemployment ain't rewardin'
They may as well teach us extortion
You either get paid or locked up, the principal is like a warden
In a four year sentence, mad niggas never finish
But that doesn't mean I couldn't be a doctor or a dentist
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we tryin' to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Tellin' me white man lies, straight bullshit
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we tryin' to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Tellin' me white man lies, straight bullshit
They schools ain't teachin' us
What we need to know to survive (say what, say what)
They schools don't educate
All they teach the people is lies
'Cause for real, a mind is a terrible thing to waste
And all y'all high class niggas with y'all nose up
'Cause we droppin' this shit on this joint, fuck y'all
We gon' speak for ourselves
Know what I'm sayin'?
'Cause see the schools ain't teachin' us nothin
They ain't teachin' us nothin but how to be slaves and hardworkers
For white people to build up they shit
Make they businesses successful while it's exploitin' us
Know what I'm sayin'?
And they ain't teachin' us nothin related to solvin' our own problems
Know what I'm sayin'?
Ain't teachin' us how to get crack out the ghetto
They ain't teachin' us how to stop the police from murdering us
And brutalizing us, they ain't teachin' us how to get our rent paid
Know what I'm sayin'?
They ain't teachin' our families how to interact better with each other
Know what I'm sayin'?
They just teachin' us how to build they shit up
Know what I'm sayin'?
That's why my niggas got a problem with this shit
That's why niggas be droppin' out that shit 'cause it don't relate
You go to school, the fuckin' police searchin' you
You walkin' in your shit like this a military compound
Know what I'm sayin'?
So school don't even relate to us
Until we have some shit where we control the fuckin' school system
Where we reflect how we gon solve our own problems
Them niggas ain't gon relate to school
Shit, that just how it is
Know what I'm sayin'?
And I love education, know what I'm sayin'?
But if education ain't elevatin' me
Then you know what I'm sayin'
It ain't takin' me where I need to go on some bullshit
Then fuck education
Know what I'm sayin'? At least they shit
Matter of fact my nigga
This whole school system can suck my dick, BEEYOTCH!!
Man that school shit is a joke
The same people who control the school system
Control the prison system,
And the whole social system
Ever since slavery, know what I'm sayin'?
I went to school with some redneck crackers
Right around the time 3rd Bass dropped the cactus album
But I was readin Malcolm
I changed my name in '89 cleaning parts of my brain
Like a baby nine
I took a history class serious
Front row, every day of the week, 3rd period
Fuckin' with the teachers had, callin' 'em racist
I tried to show them crackers some light, they couldn't face it
I got my diploma from a school called Rickers
Full of, teenage mothers, and drug dealin' niggas
In the hallways, the popo was always present
Searchin' through niggas possessions
Lookin' for, dope and weapons, get your lessons
That's why my moms kept stressin'
I tried to pay attention but they classes wasn't interestin'
They seemed to only glorify the Europeans
Claimin' Africans were only three-fifths a human being
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we tryin' to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Tellin' me white man lies, straight bullshit (bullshit)
They schools ain't teachin' us
What we need to know to survive (say what, say what)
They schools don't educate
All they teach the people is lies
You see dog, you see how quick these motherfuckers be to like
Be tellin' niggas get a diploma so you can get a job
Know what I'm sayin'? But they don't never tell you how the job
Gonna exploit you every time, know what I'm sayin'?
That's why I be like 'Fuck they schools!'
School is like a 12-step brainwash camp
They make you think if you drop out you ain't got a chance
To advance in life, they try to make you pull your pants up
Students fight the teachers and get took away in handcuffs
And if that wasn't enough, then they expel y'all
Your peoples understand it but to them, you a failure
Observation and participation, my favorite teachers
When they beat us in the head with them books, it don't reach us
Whether you breakdance or rock suede Adidas
Or be in the bathroom with your clique, smokin' reefer
Then you know they math class ain't important 'less you addin' up cash
In multiples, unemployment ain't rewardin'
They may as well teach us extortion
You either get paid or locked up, the principal is like a warden
In a four year sentence, mad niggas never finish
But that doesn't mean I couldn't be a doctor or a dentist
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we tryin' to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Tellin' me white man lies, straight bullshit
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we tryin' to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Tellin' me white man lies, straight bullshit
They schools ain't teachin' us
What we need to know to survive (say what, say what)
They schools don't educate
All they teach the people is lies
'Cause for real, a mind is a terrible thing to waste
And all y'all high class niggas with y'all nose up
'Cause we droppin' this shit on this joint, fuck y'all
We gon' speak for ourselves
Know what I'm sayin'?
'Cause see the schools ain't teachin' us nothin
They ain't teachin' us nothin but how to be slaves and hardworkers
For white people to build up they shit
Make they businesses successful while it's exploitin' us
Know what I'm sayin'?
And they ain't teachin' us nothin related to solvin' our own problems
Know what I'm sayin'?
Ain't teachin' us how to get crack out the ghetto
They ain't teachin' us how to stop the police from murdering us
And brutalizing us, they ain't teachin' us how to get our rent paid
Know what I'm sayin'?
They ain't teachin' our families how to interact better with each other
Know what I'm sayin'?
They just teachin' us how to build they shit up
Know what I'm sayin'?
That's why my niggas got a problem with this shit
That's why niggas be droppin' out that shit 'cause it don't relate
You go to school, the fuckin' police searchin' you
You walkin' in your shit like this a military compound
Know what I'm sayin'?
So school don't even relate to us
Until we have some shit where we control the fuckin' school system
Where we reflect how we gon solve our own problems
Them niggas ain't gon relate to school
Shit, that just how it is
Know what I'm sayin'?
And I love education, know what I'm sayin'?
But if education ain't elevatin' me
Then you know what I'm sayin'
It ain't takin' me where I need to go on some bullshit
Then fuck education
Know what I'm sayin'? At least they shit
Matter of fact my nigga
This whole school system can suck my dick, BEEYOTCH!!
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Its not Rickers, its Rickards, I live in the town that stic.man is from.