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.
A hand off the heart
One on the wolf until your lambs itch
Life lives in the dark
But you joke and you kid about the light switch
Lay down no talking
Stand up start walking
You run and you run and there's no time to think
No time to breathe
No time at all
Just the buffalo seven
A hand on the heart
One on the wolf until your lambs bleed
Life live in the dark
But you joke and you kid about the light in me
Lay down no talking
Stand up start walking
You run and you run and there's no time to think
No time to breathe
No time at all
Just the buffalo seven
One on the wolf until your lambs itch
Life lives in the dark
But you joke and you kid about the light switch
Lay down no talking
Stand up start walking
You run and you run and there's no time to think
No time to breathe
No time at all
Just the buffalo seven
A hand on the heart
One on the wolf until your lambs bleed
Life live in the dark
But you joke and you kid about the light in me
Lay down no talking
Stand up start walking
You run and you run and there's no time to think
No time to breathe
No time at all
Just the buffalo seven
Lyrics submitted by honeypants
Buffalo Seven Lyrics as written by Matthew Good
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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To be the first "song meaning" explanation here, I want to make sure it is stated that this song is NOT about the Lackawanna Six [sleeper cell]--It is actually about a painting that was in Matt Good's apartment when he bought it and was always there. It has nothing to do with any sleeper terrorist cells in Buffalo.
To find out the whole story, feel free to visit the following website: nearfantastica.com/bored/index.php The post listed under June 29th, 2004 at 6:52am will explain it.
well, okay, i didn't read anything about this song, but how i take it, the whole hand on/off the heart is about patriotism and like, love for your country. the whole things with lambs and wolves is like, the gov being a wolf treating us like lambs. life lives in the dark is very true, and therefore the thing about light switches is sort of like the solution to the life in the dark. like, if u turned on the lights and all. but the whole joking and kidding thing is like saying that there is no light switch and so life is always going to be in the dark. and the thing about lying down and no talking and that whole thing i think is just about fighting. u don't think u just act because that's what the gov is making u do. and the time refrences at the end is like, our country and world is falling apart and there's really no time left for it to be saved, which also has to do with the mindless action with the laying down and stuff.
but that's just me...i don't really get what buffalo seven is supposed to symbolize.