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.
Now warning lights are flashing down at quality control
Somebody threw a spanner and they threw him in the hole
There's rumors in the loading bay and anger in the town
Somebody blew the whistle and the walls came down
There's a meeting in the boardroom they're trying to trace the smell
There's leaking in the washroom there's a sneak in personnel
Somewhere in the corridors someone was heard to sneeze
Goodness me could this be industrial disease?
The caretaker was crucified for sleeping at his post
Refusing to be pacified it's him they blame the most
Watchdog got rabies the foreman's got fleas
Everyone's concerned about industrial disease
There's panic on the switchboard tongues in knots
Some come out for sympathy, some come out in spots
Some blame the management some the employees
Everybody knows it's the industrial disease
Yeah and the work force is disgusted downs tools and walks
Innocence is injured, experience just talks
Everyone seeks damages and everyone agrees
That these are 'classic symptoms of a monetary squeeze'
On ITV and BBC they talk about the curse
Philosophy is useless theology is worse
History boils over there's an economics freeze
Sociologists invent words that mean 'industrial disease'
Doctor Parkinson declared 'I'm not surprised to see you here
You've got smokers cough from smoking, brewer's droop from drinking beer
I don't know how you came to get the Betty Davis knees
But worst of all young man you've got industrial disease'
He wrote me a prescription he said 'you are depressed
But I'm glad you came to see me to get this off your chest
Come back and see me later - next patient please
Send in another victim of industrial disease haha'
Ah, splendid
I go down to speaker's corner I'm thunderstruck
They got free speech, tourists, police in trucks
Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong
There's a protest singer, he's singing a protest song - he says
'They want to have a war to keep their factories
They want to have a war to keep us on our knees
They want to have a war to stop us buying Japanese
They want to have a war to stop industrial disease
They're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind
They want to sap your energy incarcerate your mind
Give ya Rule Brittania, gassy beer, page three
Two weeks in Espana and Sunday striptease'
Meanwhile the first Jesus says 'I'd cure it soon
Abolish Monday mornings and Friday afternoons'
The other one's out on a hunger strike he's dying by degrees
How come Jesus gets industrial disease
Somebody threw a spanner and they threw him in the hole
There's rumors in the loading bay and anger in the town
Somebody blew the whistle and the walls came down
There's a meeting in the boardroom they're trying to trace the smell
There's leaking in the washroom there's a sneak in personnel
Somewhere in the corridors someone was heard to sneeze
Goodness me could this be industrial disease?
The caretaker was crucified for sleeping at his post
Refusing to be pacified it's him they blame the most
Watchdog got rabies the foreman's got fleas
Everyone's concerned about industrial disease
There's panic on the switchboard tongues in knots
Some come out for sympathy, some come out in spots
Some blame the management some the employees
Everybody knows it's the industrial disease
Yeah and the work force is disgusted downs tools and walks
Innocence is injured, experience just talks
Everyone seeks damages and everyone agrees
That these are 'classic symptoms of a monetary squeeze'
On ITV and BBC they talk about the curse
Philosophy is useless theology is worse
History boils over there's an economics freeze
Sociologists invent words that mean 'industrial disease'
Doctor Parkinson declared 'I'm not surprised to see you here
You've got smokers cough from smoking, brewer's droop from drinking beer
I don't know how you came to get the Betty Davis knees
But worst of all young man you've got industrial disease'
He wrote me a prescription he said 'you are depressed
But I'm glad you came to see me to get this off your chest
Come back and see me later - next patient please
Send in another victim of industrial disease haha'
Ah, splendid
I go down to speaker's corner I'm thunderstruck
They got free speech, tourists, police in trucks
Two men say they're Jesus, one of them must be wrong
There's a protest singer, he's singing a protest song - he says
'They want to have a war to keep their factories
They want to have a war to keep us on our knees
They want to have a war to stop us buying Japanese
They want to have a war to stop industrial disease
They're pointing out the enemy to keep you deaf and blind
They want to sap your energy incarcerate your mind
Give ya Rule Brittania, gassy beer, page three
Two weeks in Espana and Sunday striptease'
Meanwhile the first Jesus says 'I'd cure it soon
Abolish Monday mornings and Friday afternoons'
The other one's out on a hunger strike he's dying by degrees
How come Jesus gets industrial disease
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Thing song is my fav DS song, love the way how MK 'raps' through it! Remember, this song is from 1982! I think its more of a swipe at Margeret Thatcher and how she almost killed the UK industry through shutting down the mines, factories, etc... and the protests that were associated with it. ("The work force is disgusted downs tools and walks"). It was also the same time as the Falklands War ("They wanna have a war to keep us on our knees They wanna have a war to keep their factories They wanna have a war to stop us buying japanese They wanna have a war to stop industrial disease") and also, the manufacturing industry was down to a 3 or 4 day working week ("Abolish monday mornings and friday afternoons").