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.
Hoo! oooooh!
Shadows on the mountain, and the night begins to fall;
Gather up the children, ’fore the darkness takes us all.
Tribe has come together, standin’ naked against the night;
Twenty feet from the fire, the evil waits with zombie eyes.
Chorus:
Eye-eye-eye eye of the zombie!
Eye-eye-eye eye of the zombie!
Oh! sneakin’ through the long grass on leopard feet silently,
A beast already dead comes to join the dance on the zombie.
Ooh! time has come again - again the moment of truth;
The terror is at hand, and there’s nothin’ you can do.
Chorus
Oh! hoo! aaa-aah! hoo! aaa-aaa-aaaah!
From out of nowhere he’s there, flashing hideous teeth,
Panic in the crowd, helter-skelter, we’re brought to our knees.
Back to the darkness, back on the mountain he stands,
You can’t fight a shadow, you can’t kill a dead man.
Chorus (x4)
Shadows on the mountain, and the night begins to fall;
Gather up the children, ’fore the darkness takes us all.
Tribe has come together, standin’ naked against the night;
Twenty feet from the fire, the evil waits with zombie eyes.
Chorus:
Eye-eye-eye eye of the zombie!
Eye-eye-eye eye of the zombie!
Oh! sneakin’ through the long grass on leopard feet silently,
A beast already dead comes to join the dance on the zombie.
Ooh! time has come again - again the moment of truth;
The terror is at hand, and there’s nothin’ you can do.
Chorus
Oh! hoo! aaa-aah! hoo! aaa-aaa-aaaah!
From out of nowhere he’s there, flashing hideous teeth,
Panic in the crowd, helter-skelter, we’re brought to our knees.
Back to the darkness, back on the mountain he stands,
You can’t fight a shadow, you can’t kill a dead man.
Chorus (x4)
Lyrics submitted by idk
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Great version of a great song,
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A horror movie is contained within the lyrics of this great song. "Change In The Weather", another song from the same album presents a similar ominous tone.