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.
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
On your own heart
I had no place to put myself
But I had lots of time
I had no place to put myself
But I had lots of time
I had no place to put myself
But I had lots of time
So I threw out some past
And made room for more future
Now I’m standing on the seam
Between my memories and dreams
Balanced on the seam
Between my memories and dreams
Floating down the stream
Between my memories and dreams
And I see a better person
Waiting his turn to be me
And you don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
On your own heart
Now I’m running down the runway
In between gigantic numbers
I’m running down the runway
In between gigantic numbers
I’m running down the runway
In between gigantic numbers
With my knapsack
And a zero for a halo
And my halo’s got a hole in it
So it don’t keep me dry
My halo’s got a hole in it
So it don’t keep me dry
My halo’s got a hole in it
So it don’t keep me dry
But it’s ok 'cause
My brain is my heart’s umbrella
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
On your own heart
I had a girl I had to leave
But I saw her face upon my sleeve
I had a girl I had to leave
But I saw her face upon my sleeve
I had a girl I had to leave
But I saw her face upon my sleeve
It kept talking
So I put it in the laundry
And as it spun and spun
It tried to ask me what I’d done
And as it spun and spun
It tried to ask me what I’d done
And as it spun and spun
It tried to ask me what I’d done
But I was gone
On down the road out to the lane
‘Cause you think patience is a virtue
And what you don’t know can’t hurt you
And that events can change and shape us
More than we can change ourselves
And that conscious attempt at growth is stupid
And I should just relax and be myself
And even think it’s arrogant to try
But you don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
On your own heart
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
On your own heart
I had no place to put myself
But I had lots of time
I had no place to put myself
But I had lots of time
I had no place to put myself
But I had lots of time
So I threw out some past
And made room for more future
Now I’m standing on the seam
Between my memories and dreams
Balanced on the seam
Between my memories and dreams
Floating down the stream
Between my memories and dreams
And I see a better person
Waiting his turn to be me
And you don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
On your own heart
Now I’m running down the runway
In between gigantic numbers
I’m running down the runway
In between gigantic numbers
I’m running down the runway
In between gigantic numbers
With my knapsack
And a zero for a halo
And my halo’s got a hole in it
So it don’t keep me dry
My halo’s got a hole in it
So it don’t keep me dry
My halo’s got a hole in it
So it don’t keep me dry
But it’s ok 'cause
My brain is my heart’s umbrella
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
On your own heart
I had a girl I had to leave
But I saw her face upon my sleeve
I had a girl I had to leave
But I saw her face upon my sleeve
I had a girl I had to leave
But I saw her face upon my sleeve
It kept talking
So I put it in the laundry
And as it spun and spun
It tried to ask me what I’d done
And as it spun and spun
It tried to ask me what I’d done
And as it spun and spun
It tried to ask me what I’d done
But I was gone
On down the road out to the lane
‘Cause you think patience is a virtue
And what you don’t know can’t hurt you
And that events can change and shape us
More than we can change ourselves
And that conscious attempt at growth is stupid
And I should just relax and be myself
And even think it’s arrogant to try
But you don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
You don't have to be a scientist
To do experiments
On your own heart
Lyrics submitted by lunarxeclipse, edited by jfreedman, Fishkins
You Don't Have to Be a Scientist to Do Experiments on Your Own Heart song meanings
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I really love this song. Take things for what their worth, I was in a relationship for awhile and was too afraid of leaving it and too kept up worrying about how she would cope. Dragging it out made it all the worse. I wish I never did that to her.
I don't really understand what he means by you don't have to be a scientist to do experiments on your own heart... but this is a pretty great song :D
This song is extremely relatable to me due to the way I have lived my life. It's mostly based off the idea that one can cause personal growth through conscious attempts to learn about life. The experiments on his heart, is him using girls for companionship yet also to learn how to be successful in future relationships, basically he uses the girls he dates now for the purpose at being bettering at dating in the future. He justifies this by saying 'Oh I see a better me in the future, so I don't need to worry about it now"