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.
Well the high school kids are all fucked up
Touching each other, oh my god
Yeah 40 ounces is never enough
We want to pass out in your yard, we want to pass out
Dressing in drag your best friend's clothes
While boys kiss boys in motel rooms
Well just when we thought we were no longer lost
They kicked us out into the dirty streets of atlanta
So its Friday night down on north avenue
Where the gas station parking lot prostitutes
Try to fix their hair in the rear-view mirrors
You know we're just trying to get to the club
And shake our asses
A caravan of kids, a big old mess
On the old wooden dock, yeah we're bored to death
Got a bottle of wine and a fresh pack of smokes
We're gonna end up screaming about some midnight garage sale
So god, put down your gun can't you see we're dead?
God, put down your hand I'm not listening
But the microphone cut off, so we're screaming at the top of our lungs
You were born so fresh, a golden prize
Until you screamed at me and quickly realized
That you're lost in a fog on the way to death
Oh, a big black line, a thick black line
So you better speak up and raise that voice
Come on, scream out all you girls and boys
Let's get wild! wild! wild! its a choice
Come on, come on
I want to hear that fucking noise!
Oh, the push and pull of everything
Oh, this nightmare of electricity
We are the living dead, yeah, the living dead
That's the way it is, that's the way its always been
Oh, the snakes slid past my house today
Oh, I heard he caught you on a dark highway
Oh, the cracks in the board they just cooled into a storm
But I could still hear the sound of the rolling thunder
Thunder!
God, put down your gun, can't you see we're dead
God, put down your hand we're not listening
God, put down your gun, can't you see we're dead
I said, god put down your hand we're not listening
(oh we never do)
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel
Touching each other, oh my god
Yeah 40 ounces is never enough
We want to pass out in your yard, we want to pass out
Dressing in drag your best friend's clothes
While boys kiss boys in motel rooms
Well just when we thought we were no longer lost
They kicked us out into the dirty streets of atlanta
So its Friday night down on north avenue
Where the gas station parking lot prostitutes
Try to fix their hair in the rear-view mirrors
You know we're just trying to get to the club
And shake our asses
A caravan of kids, a big old mess
On the old wooden dock, yeah we're bored to death
Got a bottle of wine and a fresh pack of smokes
We're gonna end up screaming about some midnight garage sale
So god, put down your gun can't you see we're dead?
God, put down your hand I'm not listening
But the microphone cut off, so we're screaming at the top of our lungs
You were born so fresh, a golden prize
Until you screamed at me and quickly realized
That you're lost in a fog on the way to death
Oh, a big black line, a thick black line
So you better speak up and raise that voice
Come on, scream out all you girls and boys
Let's get wild! wild! wild! its a choice
Come on, come on
I want to hear that fucking noise!
Oh, the push and pull of everything
Oh, this nightmare of electricity
We are the living dead, yeah, the living dead
That's the way it is, that's the way its always been
Oh, the snakes slid past my house today
Oh, I heard he caught you on a dark highway
Oh, the cracks in the board they just cooled into a storm
But I could still hear the sound of the rolling thunder
Thunder!
God, put down your gun, can't you see we're dead
God, put down your hand we're not listening
God, put down your gun, can't you see we're dead
I said, god put down your hand we're not listening
(oh we never do)
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
I want to fuck it up
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel so alive
And I feel
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i think it's pretty much about how irreverant and useless youth is but at the same time how prevential and lively it is when you're young. plus, i mean, it's just got groovy lyrics.
p.s. their keyboardist totally pinched my ass! whoa!
abc55555, i disagree. the way the system works, in ways the world IS out to get you.
great lyrics. great tempo. :)
If it wasnt for the cliche sterotype that goes with highschool and being an angry teen and not giving a fuck about anything, very little bands would exhist.
this is my favorite song by them. this band is so cute. i love em.
the "????" in the lyrics should be the word MESS
This is also my favorite Tilly song. Mainly because the whole tap-dancer as percussionist thing isn't quite as annoying here. This song is like a musical coming of age story. I hope I never get too old to shout "I wanna fuck it up and I feel so alive!"
I agree that its a coming of age story..but I couldnt listen to the song again. its too much like a jackhammer in my head...
i saw these guys last night with BRIGHT EYES and i fell in love...how cool! i dont think the tap dancer as percussionist is annoying at all, i thought it was really neat!
personally i've always looked at the lyrics to this song and thought it was them being kind of sarcastic or they they wrote it as the state of mind of the average "rebellious" teenager. great song and great energy!
I Think the lyrics to this song are totally satirical.