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.
-These days, they wanna be criminals more than they wanna commit a crime.
-That's... that's not just crime, that's the way of the world.
~
There's something about a vandal's lust
The lifestyles of the scandalous
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Look at all the angel dust
The cocaine and the cannabis
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Hate stones, but the man you trust
'Cause it's fun to watch cannons bust
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Gone off that gangsta, gangsta; gone off that gangsta, gangsta
Gone off that gangsta, gangsta; gone off that gangsta, gangsta
(Natti)
America loves Gottis, America loves bodies
Pacino counting c-notes for shooting up club lobbies
While Eddie Nash controls bankrolls in Wonderland
Tony Soprano hits channels and holds down On Demand
We wanna see it and some motherfuckers gon' wanna be it
Others are doing numbers that breed it, bleed it, can't defeat it
Bush, the political gangster, man you gotta be high
Gave plenty of orders for slaughters, ain't swatted a fly
Modern day cowboys with shiny alloys for side arms
Hiding behind bombs, advanced cowards
In Jesse James ways we handled the Towers
Guns blazing for freeze framing the King of New York
In the moments we face opponents give thanks to "gangsta"
Maybe place Babyface Nelson in ranks to bank ya
Got enough angst to handle the handle and squeeze the trigger
But pop that in the city, it's, "Freeze, nigga!"
There's something about a vandal's lust
The lifestyles of the scandalous
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Look at all the angel dust
The cocaine and the cannabis
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Hate stones, but the man you trust
'Cause it's fun to watch cannons bust
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Gone off that gangsta, gangsta; gone off that gangsta, gangsta
Gone off that gangsta, gangsta; gone off that gangsta, gangsta
(Deacon)
A-scare-ica lusts danger, danger, danger
War, load the tanks up
In the name of the Lord give thanks for anger
More major paper in "Gangsta" Gangster
Heats, nerves and veins hearing words from pranksters
Anger anchors us, cinematic screens spew
Wrangler language, systematic schemes to
Change the brain up, divide and conquer
Mob on 'em, ride 'til their lives are contra'd
Monsters, driven by capital as a stimuli
Can never be too powerful, it makes us all admire you
We'll follow until we fall like fallen star from sky, I
Can't say it's impact hasn't hollowed walls inside my
Heart, my art, um, insane
Is it that smart to react dark when facing pain?
You ain't that hard, that scarred, or that real
To go that far, for that kill, for that feel, now that's ill
(Tim Means)
It's 6pm again
And I'm tuning into CNN watching marines mow down crowds with machine guns
16 weeks training, Atilla the Hun's philosophies
And now they're thinking we won't bring peace to these streets
With the same techniques; that shit's hypocrisy
This ain't democracy, it's a survival of the fittest
A country built behind closed doors with God as their witness
Picture this
People can become so blind that their ears can't listen
Trying to save their souls with penitentiary religion, superstition
Never done unto others but claiming that they're Christian
While God's children are sittin' home praying and wishing
For answers to their questions
Herd of the Armageddon wondering what side that we're destined
Life be a war ain't no time for restin'
That's why you give up your seven to five, just to stay alive
Trying to fuel the fire inside before the God in me has died
Eyes, wide, trying to look out through this labyrinth
Hoping to leave this earth with the same presence that we came with
Trying to steer my path in opposite directions
That man came went
My soul came, spent, I tried to get it back
Thinking that if my heart stopped that my body could relax
But there's no time to be laxed
Because there's a war all through creation
God's warriors is dying and gangsters is their replacement
-That's... that's not just crime, that's the way of the world.
~
There's something about a vandal's lust
The lifestyles of the scandalous
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Look at all the angel dust
The cocaine and the cannabis
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Hate stones, but the man you trust
'Cause it's fun to watch cannons bust
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Gone off that gangsta, gangsta; gone off that gangsta, gangsta
Gone off that gangsta, gangsta; gone off that gangsta, gangsta
(Natti)
America loves Gottis, America loves bodies
Pacino counting c-notes for shooting up club lobbies
While Eddie Nash controls bankrolls in Wonderland
Tony Soprano hits channels and holds down On Demand
We wanna see it and some motherfuckers gon' wanna be it
Others are doing numbers that breed it, bleed it, can't defeat it
Bush, the political gangster, man you gotta be high
Gave plenty of orders for slaughters, ain't swatted a fly
Modern day cowboys with shiny alloys for side arms
Hiding behind bombs, advanced cowards
In Jesse James ways we handled the Towers
Guns blazing for freeze framing the King of New York
In the moments we face opponents give thanks to "gangsta"
Maybe place Babyface Nelson in ranks to bank ya
Got enough angst to handle the handle and squeeze the trigger
But pop that in the city, it's, "Freeze, nigga!"
There's something about a vandal's lust
The lifestyles of the scandalous
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Look at all the angel dust
The cocaine and the cannabis
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Hate stones, but the man you trust
'Cause it's fun to watch cannons bust
Ain't nothing like it -- America loves gangsters
Gone off that gangsta, gangsta; gone off that gangsta, gangsta
Gone off that gangsta, gangsta; gone off that gangsta, gangsta
(Deacon)
A-scare-ica lusts danger, danger, danger
War, load the tanks up
In the name of the Lord give thanks for anger
More major paper in "Gangsta" Gangster
Heats, nerves and veins hearing words from pranksters
Anger anchors us, cinematic screens spew
Wrangler language, systematic schemes to
Change the brain up, divide and conquer
Mob on 'em, ride 'til their lives are contra'd
Monsters, driven by capital as a stimuli
Can never be too powerful, it makes us all admire you
We'll follow until we fall like fallen star from sky, I
Can't say it's impact hasn't hollowed walls inside my
Heart, my art, um, insane
Is it that smart to react dark when facing pain?
You ain't that hard, that scarred, or that real
To go that far, for that kill, for that feel, now that's ill
(Tim Means)
It's 6pm again
And I'm tuning into CNN watching marines mow down crowds with machine guns
16 weeks training, Atilla the Hun's philosophies
And now they're thinking we won't bring peace to these streets
With the same techniques; that shit's hypocrisy
This ain't democracy, it's a survival of the fittest
A country built behind closed doors with God as their witness
Picture this
People can become so blind that their ears can't listen
Trying to save their souls with penitentiary religion, superstition
Never done unto others but claiming that they're Christian
While God's children are sittin' home praying and wishing
For answers to their questions
Herd of the Armageddon wondering what side that we're destined
Life be a war ain't no time for restin'
That's why you give up your seven to five, just to stay alive
Trying to fuel the fire inside before the God in me has died
Eyes, wide, trying to look out through this labyrinth
Hoping to leave this earth with the same presence that we came with
Trying to steer my path in opposite directions
That man came went
My soul came, spent, I tried to get it back
Thinking that if my heart stopped that my body could relax
But there's no time to be laxed
Because there's a war all through creation
God's warriors is dying and gangsters is their replacement
Lyrics submitted by jjjonatron
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