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.
They got married early, never had no money
Then when he got laid off, they really hit the skids
He started up his drinking, then they started fighting
He took it pretty badly, she took both the kids
She said, "I'm not standing by to watch you slowly die
So watch me walking out the door
Out the door, out the door"
She said, "Shove it, Jack, I'm walking out your fucking door"
She went to her brother's, got a little bar work
He went to the buttery, he stayed about a year
Then he wrote a letter, and said, "I want to see ya"
She thought he sounded better, she sent him up the fare
He was riding through the cane in the pouring rain
On Olympic to her door
To her door, to her door
To her door, to her door
And his heart was singing like a lowdown guitar
He came in on a Sunday, every muscle aching
Walking in slow motion like he'd just been hit
Did they have a future? Would he know his children?
Could he make a picture and get them all to fit?
He was shaking in his seat, riding through the streets
In a Silver Top to her
Shaking in his seat, riding through the streets
In a Silver Top to her door
To her door, to her door
To her door
Then when he got laid off, they really hit the skids
He started up his drinking, then they started fighting
He took it pretty badly, she took both the kids
She said, "I'm not standing by to watch you slowly die
So watch me walking out the door
Out the door, out the door"
She said, "Shove it, Jack, I'm walking out your fucking door"
She went to her brother's, got a little bar work
He went to the buttery, he stayed about a year
Then he wrote a letter, and said, "I want to see ya"
She thought he sounded better, she sent him up the fare
He was riding through the cane in the pouring rain
On Olympic to her door
To her door, to her door
To her door, to her door
And his heart was singing like a lowdown guitar
He came in on a Sunday, every muscle aching
Walking in slow motion like he'd just been hit
Did they have a future? Would he know his children?
Could he make a picture and get them all to fit?
He was shaking in his seat, riding through the streets
In a Silver Top to her
Shaking in his seat, riding through the streets
In a Silver Top to her door
To her door, to her door
To her door
Lyrics submitted by thunderball
To Her Door Lyrics as written by Paul Maurice Kelly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Some time in the early 2000s I was teaching about alcohol and other drugs to an evening class of aspiring mature age community workers at a TAFE college in Croydon (Melbourne). I was referencing lyrics from a whole range of songs that alluded to drug and alcohol use. Two women in the front row were nudging each other when I talked about this song and the reference to the Buttery. After the class they stayed behind and told me that the song was about a mate of Paul Kelly. 'Her', as in "her door", was one of the women and Paul Kelly's mate was her ex. I don't remember 'her' name or what she looked like, but whenever I hear this song, so typical of Kelly's storytelling genius, I think of the evening I met 'her' by some weird coincidence.
@leigh11256 I’m several years late, but the woman Paul Kelly is singing about is my great aunt and her ex-husband; they were neighbours with Paul.