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.
Man once sang to me
Look at you saving the world on your own
And I wonder how things gonna be
'cause the time here it passes so slow
In a city of devils we live
A city of devils we live
Find somebody to learn
Boy you gotta love someone more than yourself
I can feel the fire of the city lights burn
It's hard to find angels in hell
Flying alone I
Feel like I don't belong and I,
Can't tell righy from the wrong, why,
Have I been here so long
In a city of devils we live
A city of devils we live
Questions I can't seem to find
To the answers I already have
And you can't see the sky here tonight
So I guess I can't make my way back
Flying alone I
Feel like I don't belong and I,
Can't tell righy from the wrong, why,
Have I been here so long
What if I wanted you here right now
Would you fall in the fire burn me down
If I wanted you here right now
Would you fall in the fire burn me down
If I wanted you here right now...
In a city of devils we live
In a city of devils we live
A city of devils we live
In a city ofâ?¦
Flying alone I
Feel like I don't belong and I,
Can't tell righy from the wrong, why,
Have I been here so long
I don't belong
Don't belong
I've been here too long
Too long
Look at you saving the world on your own
And I wonder how things gonna be
'cause the time here it passes so slow
In a city of devils we live
A city of devils we live
Find somebody to learn
Boy you gotta love someone more than yourself
I can feel the fire of the city lights burn
It's hard to find angels in hell
Flying alone I
Feel like I don't belong and I,
Can't tell righy from the wrong, why,
Have I been here so long
In a city of devils we live
A city of devils we live
Questions I can't seem to find
To the answers I already have
And you can't see the sky here tonight
So I guess I can't make my way back
Flying alone I
Feel like I don't belong and I,
Can't tell righy from the wrong, why,
Have I been here so long
What if I wanted you here right now
Would you fall in the fire burn me down
If I wanted you here right now
Would you fall in the fire burn me down
If I wanted you here right now...
In a city of devils we live
In a city of devils we live
A city of devils we live
In a city ofâ?¦
Flying alone I
Feel like I don't belong and I,
Can't tell righy from the wrong, why,
Have I been here so long
I don't belong
Don't belong
I've been here too long
Too long
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The race thing has nothing to do with it. I think the angels/devils thing is right, too. I think they feel like they don't fit in the puzzle that is LA. They were thrown in so quickly, and now all anyone around them cares about is the money that they make, not them, and they want to go back to where they feel like nothing else matters but them being them.