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.
Well, the way I see it, doesn't really matter
Because it don't make no sense to all those mad Manhatters
But I do believe that there must come a moment
When even the piggiest pig must get on up and move it
I got this friend named Neil, swears Nixon had a soul
But what I'd like to know is can Giuli do the stroll?
People always ask me, "What's so fucking great about dancing?"
How the fuck should I know? Yeah, even I can barely understand it
But when the music takes over, the music takes control
Here's a message to you, Rudy and you, sir, Mr. Bloomberg
And the rest of you ties-too-tight dudes
Y'all could learn a lesson, by losing inhibitions, yeah
Losing yourself in the music, losing yourself in the moment
Because we have nothing more than this very second
You can't count on the one coming after, no one's sure about the one before
So forget about it, we live here and now, dude, here and now, here and now, here and now
So get on down down down down down down down down down down down down down down
NYC is where the freaks come to be free and if I can't get my freak on see
I'm a hang up Giuliani, he can sick his lackeys on me
But you can't stop a new age dawning
So if you got hips then shake them
And if you got fears forsake them
Giuliani's got his rules but we ain't no fools, let's break them
Let's break them, let's break them down
And on the way we'll make them say
Everybody cut, everybody cut, everybody cut, footloose
Because it don't make no sense to all those mad Manhatters
But I do believe that there must come a moment
When even the piggiest pig must get on up and move it
I got this friend named Neil, swears Nixon had a soul
But what I'd like to know is can Giuli do the stroll?
People always ask me, "What's so fucking great about dancing?"
How the fuck should I know? Yeah, even I can barely understand it
But when the music takes over, the music takes control
Here's a message to you, Rudy and you, sir, Mr. Bloomberg
And the rest of you ties-too-tight dudes
Y'all could learn a lesson, by losing inhibitions, yeah
Losing yourself in the music, losing yourself in the moment
Because we have nothing more than this very second
You can't count on the one coming after, no one's sure about the one before
So forget about it, we live here and now, dude, here and now, here and now, here and now
So get on down down down down down down down down down down down down down down
NYC is where the freaks come to be free and if I can't get my freak on see
I'm a hang up Giuliani, he can sick his lackeys on me
But you can't stop a new age dawning
So if you got hips then shake them
And if you got fears forsake them
Giuliani's got his rules but we ain't no fools, let's break them
Let's break them, let's break them down
And on the way we'll make them say
Everybody cut, everybody cut, everybody cut, footloose
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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