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.
Out in the streets at all hours of the night
Softly bathed in flickering dashboard lights
Hey! There’s no painless
way to say
that I pass on the piece of pie
that you planned as mine
I'm starving too but I'm hungry for life
Not that life,
But my life,
It's my time
My POS car with the radio playin'
The graveyard jockey is on the air sayin'
"Here's a new hot band outta Oakland..."
And it's the sound
Of my way out
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes
I used to watchThis kid
turning wrenches next door
He grew up
Engines strewn across the oil stained floor
I got a car
The next year
I knew better but let it fall
into disrepair
I gotta get awayGotta get away,
Gotta get away from here
But four wheels
aren't going to get me there
Summer time blues
on the front porch swinger
The jock says that
The Rage got a new singer
The first note
rips through the speaker
And it's the sound
of my way out
Yeah!
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes...
The dust off these shoes...
We're the wolves
Prowlin' the shadows of these worn down streets
A rabid dose of ambition drives us to the books
To the highways -
To the low-way -
To the air waves -
We're all just tryn get a better look
At what's beyond the tall grass
That groes around this town
I gotta see the world for myself
And I only know one way to get out
Pick up my ticket to any where but here
It's got six strings and a soul
I gotta get away, Gotta get away
Gotta get away from here
Turn it up, and rock right out of this whole
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes
Shake! Shake! Shake!
Shake! Shake! Shake!
Shake! Shake! Shake!
Shake! Shake! Shake!
Softly bathed in flickering dashboard lights
Hey! There’s no painless
way to say
that I pass on the piece of pie
that you planned as mine
I'm starving too but I'm hungry for life
Not that life,
But my life,
It's my time
My POS car with the radio playin'
The graveyard jockey is on the air sayin'
"Here's a new hot band outta Oakland..."
And it's the sound
Of my way out
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes
I used to watchThis kid
turning wrenches next door
He grew up
Engines strewn across the oil stained floor
I got a car
The next year
I knew better but let it fall
into disrepair
I gotta get awayGotta get away,
Gotta get away from here
But four wheels
aren't going to get me there
Summer time blues
on the front porch swinger
The jock says that
The Rage got a new singer
The first note
rips through the speaker
And it's the sound
of my way out
Yeah!
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes...
The dust off these shoes...
We're the wolves
Prowlin' the shadows of these worn down streets
A rabid dose of ambition drives us to the books
To the highways -
To the low-way -
To the air waves -
We're all just tryn get a better look
At what's beyond the tall grass
That groes around this town
I gotta see the world for myself
And I only know one way to get out
Pick up my ticket to any where but here
It's got six strings and a soul
I gotta get away, Gotta get away
Gotta get away from here
Turn it up, and rock right out of this whole
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes
We make noise
What else could we choose?
We're gonna be more than local boys
And shake! shake! shake!
The dust off these shoes
Shake! Shake! Shake!
Shake! Shake! Shake!
Shake! Shake! Shake!
Shake! Shake! Shake!
Lyrics submitted by NoClueMcHugh
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