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.
Lord, hear me now
Don't put an English voice
Crashing out into the noise
Electric fences and guns
You swallow me
I'm a pill on your tongue
Here on the nighting floor
The neon lights make me numb
And laid in a stars light
It begins to explode
And all the people in a dream
Wait for the machine
Pick the shit up leave it clean
Kid hang over here
What you're learning in school
Is the rise of an eastern sun
On a big blue for everyone
The radio station disappeared
Music turned into thin air
The DJ was the last to leave
She had well conditioned hair
Was beautiful but nothing really was there
Don't put an English voice
Crashing out into the noise
Electric fences and guns
You swallow me
I'm a pill on your tongue
Here on the nighting floor
The neon lights make me numb
And laid in a stars light
It begins to explode
And all the people in a dream
Wait for the machine
Pick the shit up leave it clean
Kid hang over here
What you're learning in school
Is the rise of an eastern sun
On a big blue for everyone
The radio station disappeared
Music turned into thin air
The DJ was the last to leave
She had well conditioned hair
Was beautiful but nothing really was there
Lyrics submitted by CrashBangOuch, edited by JundnekoTheNoriko, Nootyy
Hong Kong Lyrics as written by Jamie Hewlett Damon Albarn
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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THESE ARE THE ACTUAL LYRICS!!! YOU SCREWED UP THERE PADRE!!
Lord, hear me now Junk boats and English boys Crashing out into the mouths Electric fences and guns You swallow me I'm a pill on your tongue Here on the nineteenth floor The neon lights make me numb
And late in a star's life It begins to explode And all the people in a dream Wait for the machine to Pick the shit up leave it clean
Kid hang over here- What you learning in school? Is the rise of an eastern sun Gonna be good for everyone?
The radio station disappears Music turned into thin air The DJ was the last to leave She had well conditioned hair Was beautiful, but nothing really was there
I believe this song to be about how depressingly beautiful Hong Kong is. It's not about some battle or anything but simply about how gorgeous the city is yet so depressing b/c it seems as if Hong Kong is slowly dying. As if it's a farewell song to Hong Kong.
The first stanza suggests that the main character of the story (Damon I guess) kicks off with his plea to god as he see's such beauty being laid to waste slowly from all the tourists and trash that fills the once respectful and powerful city. Now it just seems like everyone is fenced in by guns and electric fences. Than referring to himself as a pill on the tongue of Hong Kong being swallowed by the culture and beauty that surrounds him while looking out on Hing Kong from the nineteenth floor of a hotel. He is so overwhelmed by the culture that he feels numb.
He then resumes in singing about how Hong Kong is like a star on the verge of exploding (Burning out) and everyone can see the destruction of Hong Kong coming so they are just waiting on the downfall of Hong Kong for it to finish exploding and some machine (person or force) to come and sweep it all away as if it never happened, as if it was all a nostalgic dream upon waking. The people being depressed as they know that they have to accept the truth; that their beloved icon of happiness, hope and respect is dying and will some day soon, be gone.
He then begins a conversation with a child near by and tries to gently let him know after some small talk about school that Hong Kong is dying and that it will soon be gone. (Kind of how a father would let his son/daughter know about someone/something that is dying) He asks the child if he thinks Hong Kong will be good enough to still remain or will it be gone forever soon, hinting at the negative being the most reasonable answer.
He then begins to talk about the radio station and the music in Hong Kong as a way of describing the spirit or soul of Hong Kong. Talks about how everything else is gone except for the last thing that breathes life into Hong Kong, the spirit being the last to leave and the most important. That it's not just leaving either...that it's dead. A ghost. Something that you think is there but nothing is really there. The woman representing the last bit of life and beauty that Hong Kong still reatains.
...simply beautiful...yet tragic at the same time... The death of something truly beautiful is what Damon is trying to tell us about...what a genius of words...
@Zanderman14 It is beautiful and tragic, he's talking about how the English, went to war and forced China to get addicted to opium, Hong Kong was the city created to facilitate that inhuman thing they did to get super rich and maintain themselves as the superpower on earth. Hong Kong became the wealthiest city on earth for quite some time on the back of that mule...Damon is a genius, this song sublime.
and thanks for fixing the lyrics...whoever posted the first must have been wasted.
@Zanderman14 Zanderman - you probably won't ever see this as it was almost fifteen years ago when you wrote this, and who ever really comes back to these sights. Fifteens years ago is about the time when this came out... strange, seems like worlds ago now - probably was for most of us - I was only beginning to grow up then, I left home and left a lot behind.<br /> <br /> I returned to this song last night and wanted to look it up - it struck me deeply, something profound, it is as painful and beautiful now as it was then. This writing - your writing above - is some of the most beautiful I've read. Thanks for this. You made the song even greater. Makes me think about who you were then - where you are now - a romantic I think - I hope you still are.