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 rain starts off and it wakes you up
you can't sleep with that racket on the roof
you get up slow but you can't get going
it seems this morning the lowness has won
did you stop to see? mediocrity and your self pity,
they were stealing a kiss, look at their lips, still shiny
did you notice that happiness
happens less the more often you stop to find where it's been hiding
you say, "it's not my fault that i get so low
there's a weight on my soul that just keeps pulling me down,
it's pulling me down, i swear it"
so come on by my house and unleash me your monsters
with you at the healm we'll go crashing around together
don't mistake some initial hate for something more that cautionary
cause baby this is love, i'll come down to hell to keep you company
of all the days we've got we should be screaming out...
of all the days we've got we should be singing...
what's to be done? one hundred and one
in a tent for twelve with fingers and elbows
in innocent ribs, we're minding our business
we're just minding our business instead of minding our minds
in times when the storms will ravage your clothes,
the sound and the colour could render you blind
and the throes of a nightmare can sing you to sleep
then some foreign machine wakes you up at a mean hour
but heaven is there, under your hair,
it hides in the noon noise way up in the air
like a bird on the breeze
waiting for you and maybe me too
whats there to do? one hundred and two
are out on the doorstep and they're pushing the bolts back
they're wanting in, they're humming our hymn
everybodys singing like beautiful birds...
in the trees, listen to it, it's easy man, you can do it too
sing: i know what i want
i know what i need
cause it's the simplest thing
of all the nights we've got we should be stepping out...
of all the nights we touch we should be swinging around from house to house
if i could cheer you up it would mean so much,
clowns in love and laughing it off, laughing it off, laughing it off
you say, "its not my fault that i get so low
but to drown you too, that's a sick way to love, it's a sick way to love,
it's a fucking sick way to love"
you can't sleep with that racket on the roof
you get up slow but you can't get going
it seems this morning the lowness has won
did you stop to see? mediocrity and your self pity,
they were stealing a kiss, look at their lips, still shiny
did you notice that happiness
happens less the more often you stop to find where it's been hiding
you say, "it's not my fault that i get so low
there's a weight on my soul that just keeps pulling me down,
it's pulling me down, i swear it"
so come on by my house and unleash me your monsters
with you at the healm we'll go crashing around together
don't mistake some initial hate for something more that cautionary
cause baby this is love, i'll come down to hell to keep you company
of all the days we've got we should be screaming out...
of all the days we've got we should be singing...
what's to be done? one hundred and one
in a tent for twelve with fingers and elbows
in innocent ribs, we're minding our business
we're just minding our business instead of minding our minds
in times when the storms will ravage your clothes,
the sound and the colour could render you blind
and the throes of a nightmare can sing you to sleep
then some foreign machine wakes you up at a mean hour
but heaven is there, under your hair,
it hides in the noon noise way up in the air
like a bird on the breeze
waiting for you and maybe me too
whats there to do? one hundred and two
are out on the doorstep and they're pushing the bolts back
they're wanting in, they're humming our hymn
everybodys singing like beautiful birds...
in the trees, listen to it, it's easy man, you can do it too
sing: i know what i want
i know what i need
cause it's the simplest thing
of all the nights we've got we should be stepping out...
of all the nights we touch we should be swinging around from house to house
if i could cheer you up it would mean so much,
clowns in love and laughing it off, laughing it off, laughing it off
you say, "its not my fault that i get so low
but to drown you too, that's a sick way to love, it's a sick way to love,
it's a fucking sick way to love"
Lyrics submitted by robin_ann
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The line "cause baby this is love, i'll come down to hell to keep you company" makes me think of the movie what dreams may come. I wonder if that was in mind when they wrote it?