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.
If life is such a drag and they can do it better
Let them take you miles from home tonight
If life is such a drag and they can do it better
Let them take you miles from home
You say that you care for the people they fed
Then tell them what you want to do
Is it love or revenge to pay for dad's sins?
Tell them what you want to do
Tell them why the hell you chose
To let them take you from your good life.
If life is such a drag and this will make it better
Let them take you miles from home tonight
If daddy isn't there and mommy doesn't care
Let them take you miles from home
From a smile to a stare, naive to aware
Tell them what you want to do
A rich little girl is taking a stand
tell them what you want to do
Tell them why the hell you chose
To let them take you from your good life
Is it better to change up the clothes that you wear?
To pick up a gun and put your fist in the air?
Was it sad to see reality and what's really out there?
Tell them what you want to do
In a burned out squat in the suburbs
A lover is dead
Lawyers wait
There's wanted SLA
And a little girl on the move
In the end you'll always choose
The silver spoon
It's what's best for you
So tell them why did you
Let them take you from your good life?
Let them take you miles from home tonight
If life is such a drag and they can do it better
Let them take you miles from home
You say that you care for the people they fed
Then tell them what you want to do
Is it love or revenge to pay for dad's sins?
Tell them what you want to do
Tell them why the hell you chose
To let them take you from your good life.
If life is such a drag and this will make it better
Let them take you miles from home tonight
If daddy isn't there and mommy doesn't care
Let them take you miles from home
From a smile to a stare, naive to aware
Tell them what you want to do
A rich little girl is taking a stand
tell them what you want to do
Tell them why the hell you chose
To let them take you from your good life
Is it better to change up the clothes that you wear?
To pick up a gun and put your fist in the air?
Was it sad to see reality and what's really out there?
Tell them what you want to do
In a burned out squat in the suburbs
A lover is dead
Lawyers wait
There's wanted SLA
And a little girl on the move
In the end you'll always choose
The silver spoon
It's what's best for you
So tell them why did you
Let them take you from your good life?
Lyrics submitted by punkpirate
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I believe that this song is talking about a teen who wants to break away from her parents and joins the "wrong group" and while everything is going good, by the end she feels that her old life with her parents being the little angel is better then being the little devil with the wrong group. This can be seen in the last line of the song,
"The silver spoon It's what's best for you."
Also the title gives away the meaning,
"The Patty Hearst Syndrome."
This is because Patty Hearst was a young woman back in 1974 who was the granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst who was a big newspaper magnate. In that year she was kidnapped by the SLA and soon became one of the members. Only to be caught years later.
It is also a syndrome (i dont know my medical terms) to kids that get kidnapped and end up liking their owner. Usually it's because they feed them and keep them alive. 'Great song with awsome lyrics (you wouldn't see any other punk band sing about this) :)
Yea the syndrome your thinking of is stockholm syndrome (i think thats what ur refering to) where captives develop sympathy for their captives. Thats what paaty hearst's defence was after she joined the SLA after being kidnapped and realising that it was a pretty silly idea when she had a "good life" before.
captives develop sympathy for their CAPTORS^^ lol, oh and Patty not paaty
I love this song. It is talking about someone who chooses to take their parents lifestyle over another group ("the wrong group" as coined by thursdayfan4life). But that simplistic and isn't the whole story...it's about kind of being pissed about how somehow will take a stand for something important (like Patty Hearst feeding the poor) but the second things get bad (like getting arrested for picking up a gun and robbing a back) they turn their back on the cause and immediately go right back to their "silver spoon" (which to me is the wrong group and this is the wrong way to go about things). If you take a stand for something, it should be for something you believe in and you shouldn't get special treatment because you're rich. Patty Hearst got a full pardon from Clinton while the rest of the SLA are probably rotting in jail, and why because she's rich!!! What crap!
I always thought that one line was "If Daddy doesn't know, and mommy doesn't care" but oh well. I knew about the story of Patty Hearst so of course I knew what the song was about.
one of my favourite songs ever=]xD