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.
I think I know what you mean, but watch what you say
'Cause they'll be tryin' to knock you down in some way
Sometimes it feels like the world is fallin' asleep
How do you wake someone up from inside a dream?
Your mind would wander and search for its place in the night
Your body followed this feeling like following light
Once that your music was born it followed you 'round
And then it gave your activities meaning and let you be loud
You're sad but you smile
It's not in your eyes
Your eyeballs don't change
It's the muscles around your eyes
An egg to fertilize
A pulse to stabilize
A body to deodorize
A life to scrutinize
A child to criticize
Young adults to modernize
Citizens to terrorize
Generations to desensiti-
Your dreams are sweet and obsessed and you're overworked
You're overtaken by visions of being overlooked
How disappointed would D.I.D.I.P.P. be
To see such power in our hands all wasted on greed?
Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live
As free and detached as boats to the dock?
Just like the music was born and detached from your heart
Is your free time to free minds or for falling apart?
Night after night
You turn off the light
You don't fall asleep right away
Are we, are we done?
A desk to organize
A product to advertise
A market to monopolize
Movie stars to idolize
Leaders to scandalize
Enemies to neutralize
No time to apologize
Fury to tranquilize
Weapons to synchronize
Cities to vapori-
'Cause they'll be tryin' to knock you down in some way
Sometimes it feels like the world is fallin' asleep
How do you wake someone up from inside a dream?
Your mind would wander and search for its place in the night
Your body followed this feeling like following light
Once that your music was born it followed you 'round
And then it gave your activities meaning and let you be loud
You're sad but you smile
It's not in your eyes
Your eyeballs don't change
It's the muscles around your eyes
An egg to fertilize
A pulse to stabilize
A body to deodorize
A life to scrutinize
A child to criticize
Young adults to modernize
Citizens to terrorize
Generations to desensiti-
Your dreams are sweet and obsessed and you're overworked
You're overtaken by visions of being overlooked
How disappointed would D.I.D.I.P.P. be
To see such power in our hands all wasted on greed?
Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live
As free and detached as boats to the dock?
Just like the music was born and detached from your heart
Is your free time to free minds or for falling apart?
Night after night
You turn off the light
You don't fall asleep right away
Are we, are we done?
A desk to organize
A product to advertise
A market to monopolize
Movie stars to idolize
Leaders to scandalize
Enemies to neutralize
No time to apologize
Fury to tranquilize
Weapons to synchronize
Cities to vapori-
Lyrics submitted by h00ktup, edited by LoneDepth, DsquareD, aiden10171
Ize of the World Lyrics as written by Julian Casablancas
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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You know, I went off on such a tangent there I forgot to mention the most important part..."Is your free time to free minds or for falling apart?" Its the other half of this song...what can I do to fix the problems that society has created? "How do you wake someone up from inside a dream?" And I like the falling apart part, because to me it means that if you focus your energies inward, and not outward to share what you know with other people, you will ultimately come up empty.
dude you are so dead on. i love it. thank you man.