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 saw Star Wars at least eight times
Had the Pac Man pattern memorized
And I've seen the stuff they put inside
Stretch Armstrong, yeah
I was Roger Staubach in my back yard
Had a shoe box full of baseball cards
And a couple of Evel Knievel scars on my right arm
I was a kid when Elvis died
And my mama cried
It was 1970 somethin'
In the world that I grew up in
Farrah Fawcett harido days
Bell bottoms and eight tracks tapes
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh man, did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
Oh, it was 1970 somethin'
It was the dawning of a new decade
We got our first microwave
And Dad broke down and finally shaved them old sideburns off
I took the stickers off of my Rubik's Cube
Watched MTV all afternoon
And my first love was Daisy Duke in them cut off jeans
A space shuttle fell out of the sky
And the whole world cried
It was 1980 somethin'
In the world that I grew up in
Skatin' rinks and black Trans Ams
Big hair and parachute pants
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh man, did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
Oh, it was 1980 somethin'
Now I've got a mortgage and an SUV
And all this responsibility
Makes me wish (wish) sometimes (sometimes)
It was 1980 somethin'
In the world that I grew up in
Skatin' rinks and black Trans Ams
Big hair and parachute pants
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh man, did I look cheesy
I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
Oh, it was 1980 somethin'
1970 somethin'
Ah, it was 19 somethin'
Had the Pac Man pattern memorized
And I've seen the stuff they put inside
Stretch Armstrong, yeah
I was Roger Staubach in my back yard
Had a shoe box full of baseball cards
And a couple of Evel Knievel scars on my right arm
I was a kid when Elvis died
And my mama cried
It was 1970 somethin'
In the world that I grew up in
Farrah Fawcett harido days
Bell bottoms and eight tracks tapes
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh man, did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
Oh, it was 1970 somethin'
It was the dawning of a new decade
We got our first microwave
And Dad broke down and finally shaved them old sideburns off
I took the stickers off of my Rubik's Cube
Watched MTV all afternoon
And my first love was Daisy Duke in them cut off jeans
A space shuttle fell out of the sky
And the whole world cried
It was 1980 somethin'
In the world that I grew up in
Skatin' rinks and black Trans Ams
Big hair and parachute pants
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh man, did I look cheesy
But I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
Oh, it was 1980 somethin'
Now I've got a mortgage and an SUV
And all this responsibility
Makes me wish (wish) sometimes (sometimes)
It was 1980 somethin'
In the world that I grew up in
Skatin' rinks and black Trans Ams
Big hair and parachute pants
Lookin' back now I can see me
And oh man, did I look cheesy
I wouldn't trade those days for nothin'
Oh, it was 1980 somethin'
1970 somethin'
Ah, it was 19 somethin'
Lyrics submitted by whiskeygirl11
19 Somethin' [Greatest Hits Version] Lyrics as written by David Lee Chris Dubois
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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well, not really, but haha. i love this song anyway!