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.
Well, a teacher of mine once told me
That life was just a list of disappoints and defeats
And you could only do your best
And I said "That's a fucking cop-out
You're just washed up and you're tired
And when I get to your age, well, I won't be such a coward"
But these day I sit at home, known to shout at my TV
And punk rock didn't live up to what I'd hoped that it could be
And all the things that I believed with all my heart when I was young
Are just coasters for beers and clean surfaces for drugs
And I packed all my pamphlets, with my bibles, at the back of the shelf
Well, it was bad enough the feeling, and the first time it hit
When you realized your parents had let the world all go to shit
And that the values and ideals for which many had fought and died
Had been killed off in the committees and left to die by the wayside
But it was worse when we turned to the kids on the left
And got let down again by some poor excuse for protest
Yeah, by idiot fucking hippies in fifty different factions
Who are locked inside some kind of 60's battle re-enactment
And I hung-up my banner in disgust and I head for the door
Oh, but once, we were young, and we were crass enough to care
But I guess you live and learn, we won't make that mistake again, no
Oh, but surely, just for one day, yeah, we could fight and we could win
And if only for a little while, we could insist on the impossible
Well, we've been a good few hours drinking
So I'm going to say what everyone's thinking
If we're stuck on this ship and it's sinking
Then we might as well have a parade
'Cause if it's still gonna to hurt in the morning
And a better plan's yet to get forming
Then where's the harm spending an evening
In manning the old barricades
So come on old friends to the streets
Let's be 1905 but not 1917
Let's be heroes, let's be martyrs, let's be radical thinkers
Who never have to test drive the least of their dreams
Let's divide up the world into the damned and the saved
And then ride to the valley like the old Light Brigade
And straighten our backs and we won't be afraid
And they'll celebrate our deaths with a national parade
So come on let's be young, let's be crass enough to care
Let's refuse to live and learn, let's make all our mistakes again, yes
And then darling, just for one day, yeah, we can fight and we can win
And if only for a little while, we could insist on the impossible
Leave the mourning the to the morning
Yeah, pain can be killed
With aspirin tablets and vitamin pills
But memories of hope, and of glorious defeat
Are a little bit harder to beat
That life was just a list of disappoints and defeats
And you could only do your best
And I said "That's a fucking cop-out
You're just washed up and you're tired
And when I get to your age, well, I won't be such a coward"
But these day I sit at home, known to shout at my TV
And punk rock didn't live up to what I'd hoped that it could be
And all the things that I believed with all my heart when I was young
Are just coasters for beers and clean surfaces for drugs
And I packed all my pamphlets, with my bibles, at the back of the shelf
Well, it was bad enough the feeling, and the first time it hit
When you realized your parents had let the world all go to shit
And that the values and ideals for which many had fought and died
Had been killed off in the committees and left to die by the wayside
But it was worse when we turned to the kids on the left
And got let down again by some poor excuse for protest
Yeah, by idiot fucking hippies in fifty different factions
Who are locked inside some kind of 60's battle re-enactment
And I hung-up my banner in disgust and I head for the door
Oh, but once, we were young, and we were crass enough to care
But I guess you live and learn, we won't make that mistake again, no
Oh, but surely, just for one day, yeah, we could fight and we could win
And if only for a little while, we could insist on the impossible
Well, we've been a good few hours drinking
So I'm going to say what everyone's thinking
If we're stuck on this ship and it's sinking
Then we might as well have a parade
'Cause if it's still gonna to hurt in the morning
And a better plan's yet to get forming
Then where's the harm spending an evening
In manning the old barricades
So come on old friends to the streets
Let's be 1905 but not 1917
Let's be heroes, let's be martyrs, let's be radical thinkers
Who never have to test drive the least of their dreams
Let's divide up the world into the damned and the saved
And then ride to the valley like the old Light Brigade
And straighten our backs and we won't be afraid
And they'll celebrate our deaths with a national parade
So come on let's be young, let's be crass enough to care
Let's refuse to live and learn, let's make all our mistakes again, yes
And then darling, just for one day, yeah, we can fight and we can win
And if only for a little while, we could insist on the impossible
Leave the mourning the to the morning
Yeah, pain can be killed
With aspirin tablets and vitamin pills
But memories of hope, and of glorious defeat
Are a little bit harder to beat
Lyrics submitted by simon_quine, edited by glorkspangle, Schlermie
Love Ire & Song Lyrics as written by Francis Edward Turner
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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