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.
Build me a home up on a hill
Where I can lay my head down
Prices will rise, the market’s upscale
And all the cheap rents have left town
Call it a condo, but it’s just a box
And it’s built the cheapest way
You’ve got two choices, move somewhere else
Or mortgage your life away
Stacking up those little boxes
Vinyl siding to seal your thoughts in
Minimum standard, marketable boxes
Developer’s profits are everyone’s losses
Fake brick and chain link fence
Built with indifference
Triple locks and a three-foot pine
Not much humanity
With the money saved buying marginal land
Another zoning battle is won
Nearby landowners hate the projects
But the resentment’s just begun
You’ll learn the worst about your neighbors
And the state their lives are in
You’ll live in unspoken conflict
The walls are paper-thin
Prove that you’re someone, pay an inflated price
For the devalued American dream
Get a cheap carton to keep your life in
Home sweet home’s not what it seems
Where I can lay my head down
Prices will rise, the market’s upscale
And all the cheap rents have left town
Call it a condo, but it’s just a box
And it’s built the cheapest way
You’ve got two choices, move somewhere else
Or mortgage your life away
Stacking up those little boxes
Vinyl siding to seal your thoughts in
Minimum standard, marketable boxes
Developer’s profits are everyone’s losses
Fake brick and chain link fence
Built with indifference
Triple locks and a three-foot pine
Not much humanity
With the money saved buying marginal land
Another zoning battle is won
Nearby landowners hate the projects
But the resentment’s just begun
You’ll learn the worst about your neighbors
And the state their lives are in
You’ll live in unspoken conflict
The walls are paper-thin
Prove that you’re someone, pay an inflated price
For the devalued American dream
Get a cheap carton to keep your life in
Home sweet home’s not what it seems
Lyrics submitted by Blaupunked
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