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.
[Chorus]
And you think you've seen trouble
Well you're lookin' at the man
Oh the world's own original hard luck story
And a hard time losin' man
Oh sometimes skies are cloudy
And sometimes skies are blue
And sometimes they say that you eat the bear
But sometimes the bear eats you
And sometimes I feel like I should go
Far far away and hide
'Cause I keep a waitin' for my ship to come in
And all that ever comes is the tide
[Chorus]
Oh I saved up all my money
I gonna buy me a flashy car
So I go downtown to see the man
And he smokin' on a big cigar
Well he must' a thought I were Rockefeller
Or an uptown man of wealth
He said "Boy I got the car that's made for you
And it's cleaner than the Board of Health"
Then I got on the highway oh I feelin' fine, I hit a bump
Then I found I bought a car held together
By wire, and a couple a' hunks of twine
[Chorus]
Oh Friday night, feelin' right
I head out on the street
Standin' in the doorway
Was a dealer known as Pete
Well he sold me a dime of some super-fine
Dynamite from Mexico
I spent all night
Just tryin' to get right
On an ounce of Oregano
[Chorus]
And you think you've seen trouble
Well you're lookin' at the man
Oh the world's own original hard luck story
And a hard time losin' man
Oh sometimes skies are cloudy
And sometimes skies are blue
And sometimes they say that you eat the bear
But sometimes the bear eats you
And sometimes I feel like I should go
Far far away and hide
'Cause I keep a waitin' for my ship to come in
And all that ever comes is the tide
[Chorus]
Oh I saved up all my money
I gonna buy me a flashy car
So I go downtown to see the man
And he smokin' on a big cigar
Well he must' a thought I were Rockefeller
Or an uptown man of wealth
He said "Boy I got the car that's made for you
And it's cleaner than the Board of Health"
Then I got on the highway oh I feelin' fine, I hit a bump
Then I found I bought a car held together
By wire, and a couple a' hunks of twine
[Chorus]
Oh Friday night, feelin' right
I head out on the street
Standin' in the doorway
Was a dealer known as Pete
Well he sold me a dime of some super-fine
Dynamite from Mexico
I spent all night
Just tryin' to get right
On an ounce of Oregano
[Chorus]
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I think this is Jim's funniest song, that line
"And sometimes they say that you eat the bear But sometimes the bear eats you"
just had me in stitches the first time I heard it :)