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.
Radio waves are coming miles and miles
Bringing only empty boats
Whatever feeling they had when they sailed
Somehow slipped out between the notes
Out on the desert now and feeling lost
The bonnet wears a wire albatross
Monster ballads and the stations of the cross
Sighing just a little bit
Sighing just a little bit
And I was thinking about what Katy done
Thinking about what Katy did
The fairest daughter of the Pharaoh's son
Dressed in gold beneath pyramids
Out on the desert now and feeling lost
The bonnet wears a wire albatross
Monster ballads and the stations of the cross
Sighing just a little bit
Sighing just a little bit
Ones and zeroes bleeding mesa noise
And when you're empty there's so much space for them
You turn it off but then a still small voice
Comes in blazing from some vast horizon
And I was thinking about my river days
I was thinking about me and Jim
Passing Cairo on a getaway
With every steamboat like a hymn
Out on the desert now
I'm feeling lost
The bonnet wears a wire albatross
Monster ballads and the stations of the cross
Sighing just a little bit
Smiling just a little bit
Bringing only empty boats
Whatever feeling they had when they sailed
Somehow slipped out between the notes
Out on the desert now and feeling lost
The bonnet wears a wire albatross
Monster ballads and the stations of the cross
Sighing just a little bit
Sighing just a little bit
And I was thinking about what Katy done
Thinking about what Katy did
The fairest daughter of the Pharaoh's son
Dressed in gold beneath pyramids
Out on the desert now and feeling lost
The bonnet wears a wire albatross
Monster ballads and the stations of the cross
Sighing just a little bit
Sighing just a little bit
Ones and zeroes bleeding mesa noise
And when you're empty there's so much space for them
You turn it off but then a still small voice
Comes in blazing from some vast horizon
And I was thinking about my river days
I was thinking about me and Jim
Passing Cairo on a getaway
With every steamboat like a hymn
Out on the desert now
I'm feeling lost
The bonnet wears a wire albatross
Monster ballads and the stations of the cross
Sighing just a little bit
Smiling just a little bit
Lyrics submitted by EffulgentEnnui
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I agree with infinitepet85 about the Huck Finn reference.
"And I was thinking about my river days I was thinking about me and Jim Passing Cairo on a getaway With every steamboat like a hymn"
Josh is eluding to Cairo , Illinois , which was a major Steamboat port in the 19th Century. It also is the the destination of Huck and his Slave friend Jim in the Adventures of Huck Finn , they wanted to take a Steamboat north to freedom.