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.
Sometimes I try to do things, and it just doesn't work out the way I wanted to
And I get real frustrated and like I try hard to do it
I like take my time and it doesn't work out the way I wanted to
It's like I concentrate on it real hard and it doesn't work out
And Everything I do and everything I try it never turns out
It's like I need time to figure these things out
There's always someone there going
Hey Buddy:
You know, we've been noticing you've been having a lot of problems lately
You know, you need to maybe get away and like maybe you should talk about it
You'll feel a lot better
I go:
No it's okay, you know I'll figure it out, just leave me alone I'll figure it out
You know I'll just work it out myself
And they go
Well you know if you want to talk about it I'll be here you know and you'll
Probably feel a lot better if you talk about it, so why don't you talk about it?
I go:
No. I don't want to talk about it. I'm okay, I'll figure it out myself but they just keep
Bugging me and they just keep bugging me and it builds up inside
So you're gonna be institutionalized
You'll come out brainwashed with bloodshot eyes
You won't have any say
They'll brainwash you until you see their way
I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
I was in my room and I was like just sitting there staring at the wall thinking about
Everything but then again I was thinking about nothing
And my mom came in and I didn't even realize she was there and she calls my
Name but I didn't even hear it, and she started screaming BUDDY! BUDDY!
And I go
What, what's the matter?
And she goes
What's the matter with you?
I go
There's nothing-wrong Mom
And she goes
Don't tell me that, you're on drugs
I go
Mom I'm not on drugs I'm okay, I was just thinking you know, why don't
You get me a pepsi?
And she goes
NO you're on drugs
I go
Mom I'm okay, I'm just thinking
She goes
No you're not thinking, you're on drugs! Normal people don't act that way
I go
Mom just give me a Pepsi please
All I want is a Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me
All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me
Just a Pepsi
They give you a white shirt with long sleeves
Tied around you're back, you're treated like thieves
Drug you up because they're lazy
It's too much work to help a crazy
I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
I was sitting in my room and my mom and my dad came in and they pulled up
A chair and they sat down, they go
Buddy, we need to talk to you
And I go
Okay what's the matter?
They go
Me and your mom we've been noticing lately that you've been having a lot of
Problems, you've been going off for no reason and we're afraid you're gonna
Hurt somebody, we're afraid you're gonna hurt yourself
So we decided that it would be in your best interest if we put you somewhere
Where you could get the help that you need
And I go
Wait, what are you talking about, we decided!? My best
Interest?! How do you know what MY best interest is? How can you say what
MY best interest is? What are you trying to say, I'M crazy? When I went to
YOUR schools, when I went to YOUR churches, when I went to YOUR institutional learning
Facilities?! How can you say I'm crazy?
They say they're gonna fix my brain
Alleviate my suffering and my pain
But by the time they fix my head
Mentally I'll be dead
I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
Doesn't matter. I'll probably get hit by a car anyway
And I get real frustrated and like I try hard to do it
I like take my time and it doesn't work out the way I wanted to
It's like I concentrate on it real hard and it doesn't work out
And Everything I do and everything I try it never turns out
It's like I need time to figure these things out
There's always someone there going
Hey Buddy:
You know, we've been noticing you've been having a lot of problems lately
You know, you need to maybe get away and like maybe you should talk about it
You'll feel a lot better
I go:
No it's okay, you know I'll figure it out, just leave me alone I'll figure it out
You know I'll just work it out myself
And they go
Well you know if you want to talk about it I'll be here you know and you'll
Probably feel a lot better if you talk about it, so why don't you talk about it?
I go:
No. I don't want to talk about it. I'm okay, I'll figure it out myself but they just keep
Bugging me and they just keep bugging me and it builds up inside
So you're gonna be institutionalized
You'll come out brainwashed with bloodshot eyes
You won't have any say
They'll brainwash you until you see their way
I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
I was in my room and I was like just sitting there staring at the wall thinking about
Everything but then again I was thinking about nothing
And my mom came in and I didn't even realize she was there and she calls my
Name but I didn't even hear it, and she started screaming BUDDY! BUDDY!
And I go
What, what's the matter?
And she goes
What's the matter with you?
I go
There's nothing-wrong Mom
And she goes
Don't tell me that, you're on drugs
I go
Mom I'm not on drugs I'm okay, I was just thinking you know, why don't
You get me a pepsi?
And she goes
NO you're on drugs
I go
Mom I'm okay, I'm just thinking
She goes
No you're not thinking, you're on drugs! Normal people don't act that way
I go
Mom just give me a Pepsi please
All I want is a Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me
All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me
Just a Pepsi
They give you a white shirt with long sleeves
Tied around you're back, you're treated like thieves
Drug you up because they're lazy
It's too much work to help a crazy
I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
I was sitting in my room and my mom and my dad came in and they pulled up
A chair and they sat down, they go
Buddy, we need to talk to you
And I go
Okay what's the matter?
They go
Me and your mom we've been noticing lately that you've been having a lot of
Problems, you've been going off for no reason and we're afraid you're gonna
Hurt somebody, we're afraid you're gonna hurt yourself
So we decided that it would be in your best interest if we put you somewhere
Where you could get the help that you need
And I go
Wait, what are you talking about, we decided!? My best
Interest?! How do you know what MY best interest is? How can you say what
MY best interest is? What are you trying to say, I'M crazy? When I went to
YOUR schools, when I went to YOUR churches, when I went to YOUR institutional learning
Facilities?! How can you say I'm crazy?
They say they're gonna fix my brain
Alleviate my suffering and my pain
But by the time they fix my head
Mentally I'll be dead
I'm not crazy, institutionalized
You're the one who's crazy, institutionalized
You're driving me crazy, institutionalized
They stuck me in an institution
Said it was the only solution
To give me the needed professional help
To protect me from the enemy, myself
Doesn't matter. I'll probably get hit by a car anyway
Lyrics submitted by SayWhatever...
Institutionalized Lyrics as written by Mike Muir Louis Mayorga
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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ARE YOU KIDDING ME? This is a terrible cover. I can't BELIEVE they even dared to play a fucking suicidal tendencies song.