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.
[Verse 1]
A little ditty, about the Afroman
A Mississippi rapper, doin the best he can
Afro gon be a hip-hop star
Freestylin in the back of that police car
[Chorus]
Oh yeah, life goes on
Long after the Sheriff Department is gone
Oh yeah, I said life goes on
Long after the Sheriff Department is gone
[Verse 2]
Afro got some weed, and hit the bong
He hit the jackpot, when he wrote a hit song
+Because I got High+
Signed with Universal, cuz he was havin fun
But they took his money, like Enron
[Chorus]
And oh yeah, life goes on
Long after the thrill of riches is gone
Oh yeah, I said life goes on
Long after the thrill of riches is gone
[Verse 3]
Broke and alone, in a cheap motel
Afro spots survival, and he says "what the hell"
Mama said it's better to give, than it is to receive
Afro went to church and said "I believe"
Universal loved Afro when he was on top
But when he became a Christian, that's when he got dropped
But Jesus would comfort Afro when he prayed
Jesus said "Don't worry bout that money
People download your music off the internet anyway"
Jesus said
[Chorus]
And oh yeah, life goes on
Long after corrupt record companies go bankrupt
Oh yeah, I said life goes on
Long after corrupt record companies go bankrupt
[Verse 4]
So let em steal, let em do all this wrong
Let em make evil videos, and encourage evil songs
Keep rippin off artists for as long as you can
People go to the internet and make you a broke man (Laughing)
A little ditty, about the Afroman
A Mississippi rapper, doin the best he can
Afro gon be a hip-hop star
Freestylin in the back of that police car
[Chorus]
Oh yeah, life goes on
Long after the Sheriff Department is gone
Oh yeah, I said life goes on
Long after the Sheriff Department is gone
[Verse 2]
Afro got some weed, and hit the bong
He hit the jackpot, when he wrote a hit song
+Because I got High+
Signed with Universal, cuz he was havin fun
But they took his money, like Enron
[Chorus]
And oh yeah, life goes on
Long after the thrill of riches is gone
Oh yeah, I said life goes on
Long after the thrill of riches is gone
[Verse 3]
Broke and alone, in a cheap motel
Afro spots survival, and he says "what the hell"
Mama said it's better to give, than it is to receive
Afro went to church and said "I believe"
Universal loved Afro when he was on top
But when he became a Christian, that's when he got dropped
But Jesus would comfort Afro when he prayed
Jesus said "Don't worry bout that money
People download your music off the internet anyway"
Jesus said
[Chorus]
And oh yeah, life goes on
Long after corrupt record companies go bankrupt
Oh yeah, I said life goes on
Long after corrupt record companies go bankrupt
[Verse 4]
So let em steal, let em do all this wrong
Let em make evil videos, and encourage evil songs
Keep rippin off artists for as long as you can
People go to the internet and make you a broke man (Laughing)
Lyrics submitted by idk
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.