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.
In the nightmare desert stood a building
Outside someone was digging a hole in the ground
They were burying my luck
What have you done?
The man in the hole has smoked up all my income
My better days his for the take and I watched it all
Him putting pins into a doll
What have you done?
The dream blinks into night
The man in the hole
Has carried away the moonlight
Cupped in his hands
A dime on the water
He's a patient man
As his careful stepping shows
Will he take her love?
Will his hands know what mine did?
Will your body like the fit?
Will he take her love?
What have you done?
Outside someone was digging a hole in the ground
They were burying my luck
What have you done?
The man in the hole has smoked up all my income
My better days his for the take and I watched it all
Him putting pins into a doll
What have you done?
The dream blinks into night
The man in the hole
Has carried away the moonlight
Cupped in his hands
A dime on the water
He's a patient man
As his careful stepping shows
Will he take her love?
Will his hands know what mine did?
Will your body like the fit?
Will he take her love?
What have you done?
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TLDR: This song is about a guy dreaming about killing a close friend of his and feels regret about it. Later, that close friend "takes" his girlfriend.
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The song is split into two halves divided by the line "This dream fades into night." The first half is about a dream/nightmare the singer has. The second half is about reality.
In the dream, someone close to the narrator has died. I'm going to call him the man in the hole. They are digging his grave and placing him in it. The refrain makes it sound like the singer killed the man in the hole and is now feeling regret.
I'm unsure of the relationship between the singer and the man in the hole - the man is "his luck", but he "smoked up all [my] income". "My better days, his for the take." It sounds like he was a close friend that would always take advantage of the singer.
In the second half of the song, the singer wakens from his dream. The man in the hole is alive. The singer's girlfriend has left him for the man in the hole. The singer is sad and blames the man in the hole for being a manipulative fellow that used careful planning in order to 'take' her.
How does it all fit together? I don't know, but maybe there's a clue in that in the first line, he's having a 'nightmare', but at the end of it it's a "dream."
Anyway, I feel I'm missing a bunch.. please chime in!