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.
(Rancid?... Jah love...)
Yeah!
Here's the new face of rock-n'-roll!
It's about fightin' toe to toe...
Hard times come,
Yeah the hard times go.
When I say, come one, come all.
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
One man's decision brings another's opposition completely unbound.
Down on the flats where the seaside meets my lonely youngtown
Well all the rudies and skins well they're out on the streets making the way on the dole,
Between the bottles and sex they smash and they wreck for something to live
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face.
Sometimes you know there's no place to go,
But to a long life of crime.
Yeah but it's so wrong to steal,
Someone's very last meal to profit up a dime.
Your poe poes and greys well they end up in jail gonna swing the cowboys
Well you took a bite outta the apple of decision that got ya there boy.
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
Hooligans and bootboys, I don't want no racial hatred
"Black and white, who are portrayed without bias
These are the people whose voice I want to be..."
I said the hooligans!
Rancid
Bootboys!
Rancid
Hooligans!
Rancid
Bootboys!
Rancid
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Ahhh ahhhh ahhhhhh...
Yeah!
Here's the new face of rock-n'-roll!
It's about fightin' toe to toe...
Hard times come,
Yeah the hard times go.
When I say, come one, come all.
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
One man's decision brings another's opposition completely unbound.
Down on the flats where the seaside meets my lonely youngtown
Well all the rudies and skins well they're out on the streets making the way on the dole,
Between the bottles and sex they smash and they wreck for something to live
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face.
Sometimes you know there's no place to go,
But to a long life of crime.
Yeah but it's so wrong to steal,
Someone's very last meal to profit up a dime.
Your poe poes and greys well they end up in jail gonna swing the cowboys
Well you took a bite outta the apple of decision that got ya there boy.
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
Hooligans and bootboys, I don't want no racial hatred
"Black and white, who are portrayed without bias
These are the people whose voice I want to be..."
I said the hooligans!
Rancid
Bootboys!
Rancid
Hooligans!
Rancid
Bootboys!
Rancid
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Scars been stricken on their face
Well all the hooligans and bootboys know one thing for sure,
Ahhh ahhhh ahhhhhh...
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Light Up The Sky
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"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Dreamwalker
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Amazing
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Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Yes it is bootboys, i always thought i was rudeboys until now. I think skagirlie has it all figured. Although I cant believe no one has mentioned anything about "The Specials" yet. The song features vocals from Lynval and Neville and guitar from Roddy Radiation. How cool is that?