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 came into the party with a long black shawl
And the guys from the front lawn
Are making jokes about the white swan
Some nights we just need to get touched
And rub up against something plush
Some nights it's just a crush, yeah, and some nights it's blood lust
She said we might use you later on
Meet me right back here around dawn
And you came into the ER drinking gin from a jam jar
And the nurse is making jokes about the ER being like an after bar
You know you're weak and effete and I'm coming up from the streets
You're up in your loft getting soft
And I'm coming up the stairs and I'm coming from the streets
She said I love the guys you can't trust
Meet me here about dusk
I was half dead then I got born again
I got lost in all the lights but it was okay in the end
And when we hit the Twin Cities, I didn't know that much about it
I knew Mary Tyler Moore and I knew Profane Existence
I was keyed up, keys jangled in the stalls
They counted money in the motels, they mostly sold it in the malls
And the carpet at the Thunderbird
Has a burn for every cowboy that got fenced in
She said you remind me of Rod Stewart when he was young
Yeah, you've got passion and you think that you're sexy
And all the punks think that you're dumb
The guys around the lockers got a story about the stomach pump
And the guys behind the theater found a body in the garbage dump
She got screwed up by religion
She got screwed by soccer players
She got high for the first time
At the camps down by the banks of the Mississippi River
Lord, to be seventeen forever
And she got confused about the truth
And she came to in a confession
She got high for the last time
In the camps down by the banks of the river
Lord, to be thirty-three forever
And she got screwed up by her vision
It was scary when she saw him
She didn't tell a single person
About the camps on the banks of the Mississippi River
Lord, to be seventeen forever
She got strung out on the scene
And she got scared when it got druggy
The way the whispers bit like fangs in the last hour of the party
Lord, to be thirty-three forever
And the guys from the front lawn
Are making jokes about the white swan
Some nights we just need to get touched
And rub up against something plush
Some nights it's just a crush, yeah, and some nights it's blood lust
She said we might use you later on
Meet me right back here around dawn
And you came into the ER drinking gin from a jam jar
And the nurse is making jokes about the ER being like an after bar
You know you're weak and effete and I'm coming up from the streets
You're up in your loft getting soft
And I'm coming up the stairs and I'm coming from the streets
She said I love the guys you can't trust
Meet me here about dusk
I was half dead then I got born again
I got lost in all the lights but it was okay in the end
And when we hit the Twin Cities, I didn't know that much about it
I knew Mary Tyler Moore and I knew Profane Existence
I was keyed up, keys jangled in the stalls
They counted money in the motels, they mostly sold it in the malls
And the carpet at the Thunderbird
Has a burn for every cowboy that got fenced in
She said you remind me of Rod Stewart when he was young
Yeah, you've got passion and you think that you're sexy
And all the punks think that you're dumb
The guys around the lockers got a story about the stomach pump
And the guys behind the theater found a body in the garbage dump
She got screwed up by religion
She got screwed by soccer players
She got high for the first time
At the camps down by the banks of the Mississippi River
Lord, to be seventeen forever
And she got confused about the truth
And she came to in a confession
She got high for the last time
In the camps down by the banks of the river
Lord, to be thirty-three forever
And she got screwed up by her vision
It was scary when she saw him
She didn't tell a single person
About the camps on the banks of the Mississippi River
Lord, to be seventeen forever
She got strung out on the scene
And she got scared when it got druggy
The way the whispers bit like fangs in the last hour of the party
Lord, to be thirty-three forever
Lyrics submitted by letslightning, edited by rhysthuryn2003
Stevie Nix Lyrics as written by Galen M. Polivka Craig Finn
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"she got screwed up by religion she got screwed by soccer players" that line's brilliant. along with the rest of them. this is one of my favourite ths songs. dont understand why no one else has commented
@selfishisgorgeous Not so much (brilliant).
jesus died at 33
I always thought this was a reference to Finn himself who, if my calculations are correct would have been about 33 when they were writing the record.
"she said you remind me of rod stewart when he was young. you've got passion, you think that you're sexy. and all the punks think that you're dumb."
best. compliment. ever.
I think it's more a backhanded compliment....and always thought he said "you're posh and you think that you're sexy"
This band has taught me so much.
profane existence represent!
"I was half dead" could be a subtle reference to "Half Dead and Dynamite," the second Lifter Puller album. He says it a lot.
Laaawwwwwwd to be 33 forever.
Craig Finn said on the BBC Radio 1 Punk Show with Mike Davies that this song was about the rumours that you hear about rock stars, specifically before the internet with stars like Stevie Nix and Ozzy Osbourne.
I'm not quite sure it came out quite like that.
this song gets to me every time. the last part (lord, to be 33 forever...) is beautiful.
nostalgic..