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.
Got some boys who were upset,
They were headed out to India Point
Got two in the bucket backseat of the Pinto said
“You could lose your mind for all your mind is worth.”
One got up on a soapbox and proceeded to take his point
Said, “What god's are you to take this,
And turn to blood?”
'Cause the revolutionaries on the rooftop
Climb down to the cemeteries
Where the missionary line up
For the mercy of the military's time
Treat bodies like a bullet rigging clothes on the clothesline
'Cause the praise under are during his own life
And it won't be the last time
We use them eyes to see
Them all hanging
I believe I can make you whole
See them all go back again
And I don’t think you’ll ever know
How it goes and why we run down
To the place we often bled
'Cause it's a manifest destiny
Like a genocide recipe
Telling the knowledge
That rests in me to fear my own race
Challenge your good
Another thick of your callous
Don't underestimate the fate of preordained malice
Where are my boots
And where the hell is your balance
The hell, you did
Come down from your palace
To see us all
Reaching up
To see us all
Reaching up
'Cause the revolutionaries on the rooftop
Climb down to the cemeteries
Where the missionaries line up
For the mercy of the military sign
Treat bodies like a bullet ridden clothes on the clothesline
'Cause the praise under are during his own life
And it won't be the last time
We use them eyes to see
Them all hanging
I believe I can make you whole
See them all go back again
And I don’t think we’ll ever know
How it goes and why he runs down
To the place
‘Cause I’m slowly turning in
Don’t you have to go?
Don’t you have to go?
Don’t you have to go, child?
Don’t you have to go?
Take them to your cousins’ land
Sweet Madeline has got her hand
And she's asking the last man to fall
Don't fall
When I'm listening
Holy water
Go ask your friend
And may your fever? be gone
When I'm listening
Holy Lama
Go ask your friend
And may your freedom be gone
They were headed out to India Point
Got two in the bucket backseat of the Pinto said
“You could lose your mind for all your mind is worth.”
One got up on a soapbox and proceeded to take his point
Said, “What god's are you to take this,
And turn to blood?”
'Cause the revolutionaries on the rooftop
Climb down to the cemeteries
Where the missionary line up
For the mercy of the military's time
Treat bodies like a bullet rigging clothes on the clothesline
'Cause the praise under are during his own life
And it won't be the last time
We use them eyes to see
Them all hanging
I believe I can make you whole
See them all go back again
And I don’t think you’ll ever know
How it goes and why we run down
To the place we often bled
'Cause it's a manifest destiny
Like a genocide recipe
Telling the knowledge
That rests in me to fear my own race
Challenge your good
Another thick of your callous
Don't underestimate the fate of preordained malice
Where are my boots
And where the hell is your balance
The hell, you did
Come down from your palace
To see us all
Reaching up
To see us all
Reaching up
'Cause the revolutionaries on the rooftop
Climb down to the cemeteries
Where the missionaries line up
For the mercy of the military sign
Treat bodies like a bullet ridden clothes on the clothesline
'Cause the praise under are during his own life
And it won't be the last time
We use them eyes to see
Them all hanging
I believe I can make you whole
See them all go back again
And I don’t think we’ll ever know
How it goes and why he runs down
To the place
‘Cause I’m slowly turning in
Don’t you have to go?
Don’t you have to go?
Don’t you have to go, child?
Don’t you have to go?
Take them to your cousins’ land
Sweet Madeline has got her hand
And she's asking the last man to fall
Don't fall
When I'm listening
Holy water
Go ask your friend
And may your fever? be gone
When I'm listening
Holy Lama
Go ask your friend
And may your freedom be gone
Lyrics submitted by ManInTheHall
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"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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I'm not sure of the overall meaning of the song but...
"manifest destiny" is a term that refers to the belief in the ~1830s/40s United States that westward expansion was inevitable. Its meaning was broadened and people came to think of the westward expansion as almost divinely ordained and justifying almost any action by the American settlers.
Now, this connects to the "don't underestimate the fate of preordained malice" line, because many Americans naturally felt Native Americans were inferior, and made them flee or killed them etc. when they moved west. Also, State Radio songs have some other references to Native American Indian injustice ("Guantanamo" and "Fight No More" in particular), so I get the feeling this could have something to do with that.
The only thing is, the "the knowledge / That rests in me to fear my own race" contradicts that because it's the narrator's "own race."
Hmm... any thoughts?
I don't want to be "that guy" but the song "Guantanamo" isn't referring to the injustice done to Native Americans but the injustice done to the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Their all suspected terrorists who are held without basic rights and tortured even though many of them are not terrostists but people who, to quote State Radio themselves, were the wrong color at the wrong time.
Hahah, well obviously it's about Guantanamo Bay! But I'm pretty sure (helpfully based on the comment on this site for "Guantanamo" that the lines about Geronimo and "all hail the line of the crooked white kings whose fathers stole the bones from an Indian grave" are alluding to the, basically, extermination of Indians as the U.S. expanded westward.
I think that when he talks about fearing his own race, he isn't talking about fearing for his own sake, to save his own skin, but rather to fear the fact the someone who has had the same upbringing as him could be so cruel.
Got some boys who were upset, They were headed out to India Point Got two in the bucket backseat of the Pinto said �You could lose your mind for all your mind is worth.� One got up on a soapbox and proceeded to take his point Said, �What god's are you to take this, And turn to blood?�
'Cause the revolutionaries on the rooftop Climb down to the cemeteries Where the missionary line up For the mercy of the military's time Treat bodies like the bullet ridden clothes on the clothesline 'Cause the prey's hunting a hunter in his own blind And it won't be the last time
We use them eyes to see Them all hanging I believe I can make you whole See them all go back again And I don�t think you�ll ever know How it goes and what it runs down To the place we often bled
'Cause it's a manifest destiny Like a genocide recipe Telling the knowledge That rests in me to fear my own race Challenge your good Another thick of your callous
Don't underestimate the fate of preordained malice Where are my boots And where the hell is your balance The hell, you did Come down from your palace To see us all Reaching up To see us all Reaching up
'Cause the revolutionaries on the rooftop Climb down to the cemeteries Where the missionaries line up For the mercy of the military sign Treat bodies like the bullet ridden clothes on the clothesline 'Cause the prey's hunting a hunter in his own blind And it won't be the last time
We use them eyes to see Them all hanging I believe I can make you whole See them all go back again And I don�t think we�ll ever know How it goes or what it runs down To the place �Cause I�m slowly turning in
Don�t you have to go? Don�t you have to go? Don�t you have to go, child? Don�t you have to go?
Take them to your cousins� land Sweet Madeleine has got her hand And she's asking the last man to fall
Don't fall When I'm listening Holy water Go ask your friend And may your fever? be gone
When I'm listening Holy Lama Go ask your friend And may your freedom be gone