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.
Back then it was only fun, something we´d always done
Smash it up, the then you run, all that without a gun
But something came up one day, some bills you couldn't pay
And you got carried away, oh so far away
They want to use ya, they want to lose ya
They make your father singing hallelujah
I want to help ya, so let me help ya
I gotta ask you, buddy, where did you find the gun?
I ask everybody have they seen ya
You tell 'em you are fine, and they believe ya
Gimme a call, and I see through ya, you wasted your life
Where did you find the gun?
Holy-mans only son, your mother on iron-lung
No money anyone, but now you´ve got the gun
Stick up on 2nd street, I heard your running feet
Lay down, get a seat, and beg them for mercy
They want to use ya, they want to lose ya
They make your father singing hallelujah
I want to help ya, so let me help ya
I gotta ask you, buddy, where did you find the gun?
I ask everybody have they seen ya
You tell 'em you are fine, and they believe ya
Gimme a call, and I see through ya, you wasted your life
Where did you find the gun?
By an accident you find yourself
From the slammer with too much friends
You shot an officer, you shot him down
Now your young life is gone
You're older than you are, you're gone
Because you had the gun!
I ask everybody have they seen ya
You tell 'em you are fine, and they believe ya
Gimme a call, and I see through ya, you wasted your life
Where did you find the gun?
They try to make you pay and they will find ya
You try to hide away but they have seen ya
Rest while you can believe me now
You gotta run for your life
Where did you find the gun?
Find the gun, where did you find the gun?
Smash it up, the then you run, all that without a gun
But something came up one day, some bills you couldn't pay
And you got carried away, oh so far away
They want to use ya, they want to lose ya
They make your father singing hallelujah
I want to help ya, so let me help ya
I gotta ask you, buddy, where did you find the gun?
I ask everybody have they seen ya
You tell 'em you are fine, and they believe ya
Gimme a call, and I see through ya, you wasted your life
Where did you find the gun?
Holy-mans only son, your mother on iron-lung
No money anyone, but now you´ve got the gun
Stick up on 2nd street, I heard your running feet
Lay down, get a seat, and beg them for mercy
They want to use ya, they want to lose ya
They make your father singing hallelujah
I want to help ya, so let me help ya
I gotta ask you, buddy, where did you find the gun?
I ask everybody have they seen ya
You tell 'em you are fine, and they believe ya
Gimme a call, and I see through ya, you wasted your life
Where did you find the gun?
By an accident you find yourself
From the slammer with too much friends
You shot an officer, you shot him down
Now your young life is gone
You're older than you are, you're gone
Because you had the gun!
I ask everybody have they seen ya
You tell 'em you are fine, and they believe ya
Gimme a call, and I see through ya, you wasted your life
Where did you find the gun?
They try to make you pay and they will find ya
You try to hide away but they have seen ya
Rest while you can believe me now
You gotta run for your life
Where did you find the gun?
Find the gun, where did you find the gun?
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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.
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Great version of a great song,
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I think this song is about a man who, being very poor/deep in debt/etc, turns to crime to help himself, and from the point of view of a good friend of his.
The first line shows that he was once a fairly petty criminal, and probobly did a bit of time for it. Then, his mother gets very sick ("mother on ironlung"). His family is probobly poor, and are struggling to pay the medical bills and still have enough to live on.
He gets an offer from, shall we say, a mobster, and not for the first time. But he sees how desperately his family can use the money, so he accepts, becoming a hitman.
Friends and family notice him subler being a bit more...down, let's say, so they inquire about it, to which he says nothing's wrong. ("You told them you were fine and they believe you...")
Of course, the friend from who's POV the song is from, learns the truth and tries to get him out of it. His father - most likely a minister - also knows, and although he says nothing, he constantly prays for him ("they make your father singing hallelujah")
This goes on for awhile, despite the friend's pleas to get out of it before it's too late.
The line "By an accident you find yourself from the slammer with too much friends" I'm a little fuzzy on...perhaps it means he's starting to get attention, and thusly is making some enemies in the gangster world?
Some time later, he ends up gunning down a cop ("you shot an officer, you shot him down"). This makes him think a bit more...he reflects on all he's seen and done. In time, he decides he's had enough and flees. Of course, the mob friwns upon this, and put a contract out on him, and thusly he's now on the run. And from here, the song closes.
It really is a most excellent song. Sonata Arctica is very good with lyrics.
Sounds good. This song rocks.
Generally it't a song saying the implied power (and corruption) guns have given to people everywhere. "stick up on 2nd street" is one example of the corruption "the gun" brings to people. I dissagree with you on one element GGcrono, that is your'e saying these things are done by one person, or hes singing in first person, when in fact he is covering a broad spectrum on what guns do.
That's the moral of the story, what GGCrono4 posted was the story itself.
'the slammer' is a slang term for prison so in "By an accident you find yourself from the slammer" he ends up in prison
I like this song a lot, but when I first heard it, after listening to all the others songs a million times, I thought it was a cover or something because it seemed so unlike Sonata Arctica. Probably because of the sound, the topic, and setting. A lot of their songs have a vague or, I don't know, fantastical setting, I feel. Or very romantic. Not modern. Not about a young kid getting involved in a gang or whatever. Love it, though. Great surprise and good variety, just another side of the band.