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.
The cops are well-groomed, with
Muscled physiques in butt town
Their tan uniforms are tailored in chic
In butt town
Any young black male who walks down the street
Is gonna get stopped by a car full of meat
But the girl with the hair
Flies by in her underwear-
She's done nothing so far to deserve that car
When you live in butt town
You gotta get down
But in butt town I'm learnin'
In butt town I'm earnin'
In butt town I'm turnin'
Into my worst nightmare
I'm tellin' you, it's a motley crew in butt town
Monday you're new, and Friday you're through
In butt town
The producer is wily, and owns what he sells
The talent is eager to go straight to hell
Th tits are amazing, and everyone's gazing
At some body part-
That's the nature of art in butt town
All over butt town dreams have a show down
All over butt town values are thrown down
But in butt town I'm learnin'
In butt town I'm earnin'
In butt town I'm turnin'
Into my worst nightmare
In butt town baby
I'm gonna be a star
I'm gonna shake my butt far
Now here we go
I'm gonna shake my butt
Shake my butt shake my butt
In butt town
Muscled physiques in butt town
Their tan uniforms are tailored in chic
In butt town
Any young black male who walks down the street
Is gonna get stopped by a car full of meat
But the girl with the hair
Flies by in her underwear-
She's done nothing so far to deserve that car
When you live in butt town
You gotta get down
But in butt town I'm learnin'
In butt town I'm earnin'
In butt town I'm turnin'
Into my worst nightmare
I'm tellin' you, it's a motley crew in butt town
Monday you're new, and Friday you're through
In butt town
The producer is wily, and owns what he sells
The talent is eager to go straight to hell
Th tits are amazing, and everyone's gazing
At some body part-
That's the nature of art in butt town
All over butt town dreams have a show down
All over butt town values are thrown down
But in butt town I'm learnin'
In butt town I'm earnin'
In butt town I'm turnin'
Into my worst nightmare
In butt town baby
I'm gonna be a star
I'm gonna shake my butt far
Now here we go
I'm gonna shake my butt
Shake my butt shake my butt
In butt town
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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plosion obviously does NOT understand that when you live in butt town, you GOTTA get down.