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.
"Downstream" by The Rainmakers from _The_Rainmakers_
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Well, me and Mark Twain were having us a ball
Telling each other lies, floating down from Hannibal
With a bottle and a worm and a cane pole
We were fishing for secrets where the catfish crawl
And the Mississippi River's flowing downstream
Meet the Gulf of Mexico somewhere downstream
Meet the Atlantic Ocean somewhere downstream
Gonna meet you in the water somewhere downstream
Well, we picked up Harry Truman floating down from Independence
We said "What about the war?", he said "Good riddance"
We said "What about the Bomb, are you sorry that you did it?"
He said "Pass me that bottle, and mind your own business"
And the Mississippi River's flowing downstream
Meet the Gulf of Mexico somewhere downstream
Meet the Atlantic Ocean somewhere downstream
Gonna meet you in the water somewhere downstream
Well, we're rounding St. Louis and heading for the coast
When we pick up Chuck Berry in a little rowboat
With one oar in the water and one in the air
A lightning rod for a white guitar
And lightning struck once, and lightning struck twice
And I said "If there's a God, He sure ain't nice"
And Chuck said "God is an Indian giver
I don't trust nothing but the Mississippi River"
And the Mississippi River's flowing downstream
Meet the Gulf of Mexico somewhere downstream
Meet the Atlantic Ocean somewhere downstream
Gonna meet you in the water somewhere downstream
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Well, me and Mark Twain were having us a ball
Telling each other lies, floating down from Hannibal
With a bottle and a worm and a cane pole
We were fishing for secrets where the catfish crawl
And the Mississippi River's flowing downstream
Meet the Gulf of Mexico somewhere downstream
Meet the Atlantic Ocean somewhere downstream
Gonna meet you in the water somewhere downstream
Well, we picked up Harry Truman floating down from Independence
We said "What about the war?", he said "Good riddance"
We said "What about the Bomb, are you sorry that you did it?"
He said "Pass me that bottle, and mind your own business"
And the Mississippi River's flowing downstream
Meet the Gulf of Mexico somewhere downstream
Meet the Atlantic Ocean somewhere downstream
Gonna meet you in the water somewhere downstream
Well, we're rounding St. Louis and heading for the coast
When we pick up Chuck Berry in a little rowboat
With one oar in the water and one in the air
A lightning rod for a white guitar
And lightning struck once, and lightning struck twice
And I said "If there's a God, He sure ain't nice"
And Chuck said "God is an Indian giver
I don't trust nothing but the Mississippi River"
And the Mississippi River's flowing downstream
Meet the Gulf of Mexico somewhere downstream
Meet the Atlantic Ocean somewhere downstream
Gonna meet you in the water somewhere downstream
Lyrics submitted by Dogplatter
Downstream Lyrics as written by Bob Walkenhorst
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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