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.
It's in the air you breath
And it's also in the water.
It's something you can't see
You've been warned of by you mothers
You've had enough to see
You know enough to see
Join the others
When you could hardly breath
You were wondering why you bothered
And they gave us
Seven days
To renounce our wicked ways
To late to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
So!
Do the right thing!
Do nothing!
WOAHH!
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Just do what's easiest
[What will you do when they come for you?]
I think it's what I read, but I swore he said to me
Nine times out of ten you lied to me!
And now after all the conversation
No one will save you now!
We want it!
They got it!
They claim we'll die without it!
But something tells me they are Wrong!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
They gave us seven days
To renounce our wicked ways
Too late to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
Started with six or seven moved on to eight on nine
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Nobody seemed to notice
Nobody seemed to mind
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Little miss dismiss lament the radio
I cannot believe you when you tell me what you know-oh-oh-oh
And nothing will be broken if you house was made of stone
But you know, as I do, it will never be a home
We want it!
They got it!
They claim we'll die with out it!
But something tells me they are wrong!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
It's in the air you breath
And it's also in the water.
It's something you can't see
You've been warned of by you mothers
You've had enough to see
You know enough to see
Join the others
When you could hardly breath
You were wondering why you bothered
Too late to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
You know enough to see
Join the others
When you could hardly breath
You were wondering why you bothered
And they gave us
Seven days
To renounce our wicked ways
To lit to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
So!
Do the right thing!
Do nothing!
WOAHH!
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Just do what's easiest
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Nine times out of ten you lied to me!
No one will save you now!
We want it!
They got it!
They claim we'll die without it!
But something tells me they are Wrong!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Where everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
They gave us seven days
To renounce our wicked ways
Too late to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
Started with six or seven moved on to eight on nine
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Nobody seemed to notice
Nobody seemed to mind
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Little miss, dismiss, can't miss, life
Tune in the radio
I cannot believe you when you tell me what you know-oh-oh-oh
And nothing will be broken if you house was made of stone
But you know, as I do, it will never be a home
We want it!
They got it!
They claim we'll die with out it!
But something tells me they are wrong!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Where everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all,
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said
We had it made.
It's in the air you breath
And it's also in the water.
It's something you can't see
You've been warned of by you mothers
You've had enough to see
You know enough to see
Join the others
When you could hardly breath
You were wondering why you bothered
Too late to make amends
'cause we both know how this ends!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Where everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all,
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said
We
Had
It
Made.
And it's also in the water.
It's something you can't see
You've been warned of by you mothers
You've had enough to see
You know enough to see
Join the others
When you could hardly breath
You were wondering why you bothered
And they gave us
Seven days
To renounce our wicked ways
To late to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
So!
Do the right thing!
Do nothing!
WOAHH!
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Just do what's easiest
[What will you do when they come for you?]
I think it's what I read, but I swore he said to me
Nine times out of ten you lied to me!
And now after all the conversation
No one will save you now!
We want it!
They got it!
They claim we'll die without it!
But something tells me they are Wrong!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
They gave us seven days
To renounce our wicked ways
Too late to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
Started with six or seven moved on to eight on nine
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Nobody seemed to notice
Nobody seemed to mind
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Little miss dismiss lament the radio
I cannot believe you when you tell me what you know-oh-oh-oh
And nothing will be broken if you house was made of stone
But you know, as I do, it will never be a home
We want it!
They got it!
They claim we'll die with out it!
But something tells me they are wrong!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
It's in the air you breath
And it's also in the water.
It's something you can't see
You've been warned of by you mothers
You've had enough to see
You know enough to see
Join the others
When you could hardly breath
You were wondering why you bothered
Too late to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
You know enough to see
Join the others
When you could hardly breath
You were wondering why you bothered
And they gave us
Seven days
To renounce our wicked ways
To lit to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
So!
Do the right thing!
Do nothing!
WOAHH!
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Just do what's easiest
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Nine times out of ten you lied to me!
No one will save you now!
We want it!
They got it!
They claim we'll die without it!
But something tells me they are Wrong!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Where everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
They gave us seven days
To renounce our wicked ways
Too late to make amends
Cause we both know how this ends!
Started with six or seven moved on to eight on nine
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Nobody seemed to notice
Nobody seemed to mind
[What will you do when they come for you?]
Little miss, dismiss, can't miss, life
Tune in the radio
I cannot believe you when you tell me what you know-oh-oh-oh
And nothing will be broken if you house was made of stone
But you know, as I do, it will never be a home
We want it!
They got it!
They claim we'll die with out it!
But something tells me they are wrong!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Where everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all,
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said
We had it made.
It's in the air you breath
And it's also in the water.
It's something you can't see
You've been warned of by you mothers
You've had enough to see
You know enough to see
Join the others
When you could hardly breath
You were wondering why you bothered
Too late to make amends
'cause we both know how this ends!
So! What will you do when they call your name and you're
Not ready to go!?
Where everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know!
That you're in too deep and you can quite keep your secrets one and all
We might just make it after all,
On our own
We might just make it after all
But we had
One foot on the gas, and one foot in the grave
Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made
Everyone was laughing when we said
We
Had
It
Made.
Lyrics submitted by confluence
One Foot on the Gas, One Foot in the Grave Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
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Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
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Head > Heels
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Anyways...
Looking at the lyrics, I think this song has a very personal story to Tomas and the whole band in it..
"It's in the air you breathe and it's also in the water, It's something you can't see, you've been warned of by your mothers."
Greed?
"You've had enough deceit, You know enough to see. Join the others When you could hardly breathe, you were wondering why you bothered"
Once again referring to greed, and how when it comes to bite you in the ass, you regret it.
"And they gave us seven days to renounce our wicked ways Too late to make amends because we both know how this ends"
7 days? One week... Maybe they were told by their label they had to leave[go on tour, produce new material?] within a week? Even though maybe they didn't want to, they were already "in too deep" so they had to.
"So do the right thing or do nothing (What will you do when they come for you?) Or just do what is easier (What will you do when they come for you?) That is what I read what I swear they said to me! Nine times out of ten they lied to me, And after all they had the gall to say, "Son, no one will save you now" We want it, they got it! They claim we'll die without it, But something tells me they are wrong."
Finally, Tomas tells us not to be puppets and stand up for ourselves, and our dreams. Just believe and stay hopeful!
"So what will you do when they call your name, and you're not ready to go? Everyone will stare at you and tell you what you know. 'That you're in too deep and you can't quite keep your secrets, one and all.' We might just make it after all, on our own (We might just make it after all) But we had one foot on the gas and one foot in the grave Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made (x2)"
Even if others, and even YOU don't believe in yourself, you've got to keep strong and never lose the fire inside.
" Started with six or seven, moved on to eight or nine, (What will you do when they come for you?) Nobody seemed to notice, nobody seemed to mine, (What will you do when they come for you?) Little miss demissed can't miss like a detuned radio I cannot believe you when you tell me what you know And nothing will be broken if your house is made of stone But you will know as I do it will never be a home"
6 or 7 weeks? Then bumped up to 8 or 9? Then the talk of homes... they miss home, but no one seems to mind?
The rest of the lyrics are repeats, but I just wanted to make note of the title of the track:
"But we had one foot on the gas and one foot in the grave Everyone was laughing when we said we had it made"
I really see this as They really went into the music business without knowing much, going wherever they could. One foot on the gas kept them going, but they also kept the other in the grave, because one wrong turn on the road of life, and they would be done, for good.
The similarity of the horns to Keasby Nights in a certain part leads me to believe this may be KN Pt. III, or at least has a certain personal connection to the members.