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.
Uh, this feel right right here, Quik
It's like it's supposed to happen this one right here
Young! God damn
Let me justify my thug on this one right here
It goes one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, Roc
Five six seven o'clock, eight o'clock, Roc
Eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock, the party bout to pop
Then, Roc-A-Fella y'all, it's your boy S. Dot
And I ain't never been to jail, I ain't never pay a nigga
To do no dirt for me I was scared to do myself
I will never tell, even if it means sittin in a cell
I ain't never ran, never will
I ain't never been smacked, a nigga better keep his hands
To himself or get clapped for what's under that man's belt
I never asked for nothin I don't demand of myself
Honesty, loyalty, friends and then wealth
Death before dishonor and I tell you what else
I tighten my belt 'fore I beg for help
Foolish pride is what held me together through the years
I wasn't felt which is why I ain't never played myself
I just play the hand I'm dealt, I can't say I've never knelt
Before God and asked for better cards at times to no avail
But I never sat back feelin sorry for myself
If you don't give me heaven I'll raise hell
'Til it's heaven
Justify my thug, my thug, for you (hoping, praying)
Now if you shoot my dog, I'mma kill yo' cat
Just the unwritten laws in rap, know dat
For every action there's a reaction, don't have me relapsin'
Relaxin's what I'm about, but about mine
Don't be actin like you can't see street action
Take me back to Reasonable Doubt time
You see my mind's on the finish line, facin the wreck
I put my muh'fuckin faith in the tec, tell Satan not yet
You understand I am chasin my breath
I am narrowly escapin' my death, oh yes
I am the Michael Schumacher of the Roc roster
Travellin Mach 5, barrel in my apparel can stop God
God forgive me but I can't let them deliver me to you
Until, I won this race, then eventually
My engine gon' burn out, I get whatever is meant for me
However it turns out fine, red line!
Justify my thug, my thug, for you (hoping, praying)
They say an eye for an eye, we both lose our sight
And two wrongs don't make a right
But when you been wronged and you know all along that it's just one life
At what point does one fight? (Good question, right?)
'Fore you knock the war, try to put your dogs in his
Ten-and-a-halfs, for a minute-and-a-half
Bet that stops all the grinnin and the laughs
When you play the game of life and the win ain't in the bag
When your options is none and the pen is all you have
Or the block, niggas standin tight as lemons on the ave
Tryin to cop a shop call theyself cleansin in the cash
But can't put they name on paper cause, then you on blast
Mr. President, there's drugs in our residence
Tell me what you want me to do, come break bread with us
Mr. Governor, I swear there's a cover up
Every other corner there's a liquor store, fuck is up?
Justify my thug, my thug, for you (hoping, praying)
It's like it's supposed to happen this one right here
Young! God damn
Let me justify my thug on this one right here
It goes one o'clock, two o'clock, three o'clock, Roc
Five six seven o'clock, eight o'clock, Roc
Eleven o'clock, twelve o'clock, the party bout to pop
Then, Roc-A-Fella y'all, it's your boy S. Dot
And I ain't never been to jail, I ain't never pay a nigga
To do no dirt for me I was scared to do myself
I will never tell, even if it means sittin in a cell
I ain't never ran, never will
I ain't never been smacked, a nigga better keep his hands
To himself or get clapped for what's under that man's belt
I never asked for nothin I don't demand of myself
Honesty, loyalty, friends and then wealth
Death before dishonor and I tell you what else
I tighten my belt 'fore I beg for help
Foolish pride is what held me together through the years
I wasn't felt which is why I ain't never played myself
I just play the hand I'm dealt, I can't say I've never knelt
Before God and asked for better cards at times to no avail
But I never sat back feelin sorry for myself
If you don't give me heaven I'll raise hell
'Til it's heaven
Justify my thug, my thug, for you (hoping, praying)
Now if you shoot my dog, I'mma kill yo' cat
Just the unwritten laws in rap, know dat
For every action there's a reaction, don't have me relapsin'
Relaxin's what I'm about, but about mine
Don't be actin like you can't see street action
Take me back to Reasonable Doubt time
You see my mind's on the finish line, facin the wreck
I put my muh'fuckin faith in the tec, tell Satan not yet
You understand I am chasin my breath
I am narrowly escapin' my death, oh yes
I am the Michael Schumacher of the Roc roster
Travellin Mach 5, barrel in my apparel can stop God
God forgive me but I can't let them deliver me to you
Until, I won this race, then eventually
My engine gon' burn out, I get whatever is meant for me
However it turns out fine, red line!
Justify my thug, my thug, for you (hoping, praying)
They say an eye for an eye, we both lose our sight
And two wrongs don't make a right
But when you been wronged and you know all along that it's just one life
At what point does one fight? (Good question, right?)
'Fore you knock the war, try to put your dogs in his
Ten-and-a-halfs, for a minute-and-a-half
Bet that stops all the grinnin and the laughs
When you play the game of life and the win ain't in the bag
When your options is none and the pen is all you have
Or the block, niggas standin tight as lemons on the ave
Tryin to cop a shop call theyself cleansin in the cash
But can't put they name on paper cause, then you on blast
Mr. President, there's drugs in our residence
Tell me what you want me to do, come break bread with us
Mr. Governor, I swear there's a cover up
Every other corner there's a liquor store, fuck is up?
Justify my thug, my thug, for you (hoping, praying)
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
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Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
honestly, the first verse is pretty amazing.