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.
I got a woman
She rules my house with an iron fist
I got a woman
She rules my house with an iron fist
She screams out Jack the Ripper
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
Oh well I got a woman
She strikes me down with a fist of lead
Oh well I got a woman
She strikes me down with a hand of lead
We bed in a bucket of butcher's knives
I awake with a hatchet hanging over my head
Well you know the story of the viper
It's long and lean with poison tooth
Oh well, you know the story of the viper
It's long, it's lean, it's got a poison tooth
Well they're hissing under the floorboards
Hanging down in bunches from my roof
I got a woman
She just hollers what she wants from where she's at
I got a woman
She just hollers what she wants from where she is
She screams out Jack the Ripper
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
She rules my house with an iron fist
I got a woman
She rules my house with an iron fist
She screams out Jack the Ripper
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
Oh well I got a woman
She strikes me down with a fist of lead
Oh well I got a woman
She strikes me down with a hand of lead
We bed in a bucket of butcher's knives
I awake with a hatchet hanging over my head
Well you know the story of the viper
It's long and lean with poison tooth
Oh well, you know the story of the viper
It's long, it's lean, it's got a poison tooth
Well they're hissing under the floorboards
Hanging down in bunches from my roof
I got a woman
She just hollers what she wants from where she's at
I got a woman
She just hollers what she wants from where she is
She screams out Jack the Ripper
Every time I try to give that girl a kiss
Lyrics submitted by Girgo, edited by Mellow_Harsher, smallwonderrobot, kenevil83, JudasDenied, JOWNATION
Jack the Ripper Lyrics as written by Nicholas Cave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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