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.
What's the matter here? You'll never repair
The lady's cursed with insight
You'll never fix her, with a cold stare
She's all broken inside
She made a good go like a weeping willow
Her limbs clung to the ground
She closed the window and made a pillow
And lay the head down
And as her babies slept, she took a long deep breath
Now they're zipping her up in a bag
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
And the Cadillac's waiting to take her away
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
Another head cold, another spirit old
February
Her hair was dirty and she was thirty in 1963
And while her babies slept, she took a long deep breath
And they're zipping her up in a bag
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
The Cadillac's waiting to take her away
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
And drag, and drag, and drag
And drag, and drag
She made a good go for a weeping willow
She stuffed some rags on the floor
She closed the window
She made a pillow on the oven door
And took a long deep breath while her babies slept
Now they're zipping her up in a bag
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
And the Cadillac's waiting to take her away
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
They're zipping her up in a bag
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
The Cadillac's waiting to take her away
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
Hear her blacks crackle & drag
The lady's cursed with insight
You'll never fix her, with a cold stare
She's all broken inside
She made a good go like a weeping willow
Her limbs clung to the ground
She closed the window and made a pillow
And lay the head down
And as her babies slept, she took a long deep breath
Now they're zipping her up in a bag
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
And the Cadillac's waiting to take her away
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
Another head cold, another spirit old
February
Her hair was dirty and she was thirty in 1963
And while her babies slept, she took a long deep breath
And they're zipping her up in a bag
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
The Cadillac's waiting to take her away
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
And drag, and drag, and drag
And drag, and drag
She made a good go for a weeping willow
She stuffed some rags on the floor
She closed the window
She made a pillow on the oven door
And took a long deep breath while her babies slept
Now they're zipping her up in a bag
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
And the Cadillac's waiting to take her away
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
They're zipping her up in a bag
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
The Cadillac's waiting to take her away
Can you hear her blacks crackle & drag?
Hear her blacks crackle & drag
Lyrics submitted by at_your_funeral
Crackle And Drag Lyrics as written by Paul Westerberg
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Teh "blacks" are the curtains in a theater, which carackle with static electricity and drag on the floor when closed. Curtains closing is a well used metaphor for death
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What is the part about "Blacks crackle and drag"?