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.
Frank zappa (guitar, vocals)
George duke (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals)
Napoleon murphy brock (flute, tenor saxophone, vocals)
Chester thompson (drums)
Tom fowler (bass)
Ruth underwood (vibes, marimba, percussion)
Bloodshot rollin' red (harmonica)
Johnny "guitar" watson (vocals)
She lives in mojave in a winnebago
His name is bobby, he looks like a potato
She's in love with a boy
>from the rodeo
Who pulls the rope on the chute
When they let those suckers go
He's a slobberin' drunk at the palomino
They give him thirty days in san ber'dino
Well there's forty-four men
Stashed away in tank "see"
An' there's only one shower
But it don't apply to bobby
You may think they're
Dumb an' lonely
But you're wrong
'cause their love is strong
Stacked-up hair
An' a cheap little ring
They don't care
'cause it don't mean a thing
Looka there...
They don't care
Best-est way that
They can feel-o
Out on the highway
Rollin' a wheel-o
He's her tootsie
She's for real-o
Trailer park heaven
It's a real good deal-o
Real good deal-o
Real good deal-o
Real good deal-o
The rest of their lives
In san ber'dino
Gonna spend the rest of their lives
In san ber'dino
The rest of their lives
In san ber'dino
Come on with me
Come on with me
Come on with me
Down in san ber'dino
Just 60 miles, 60 miles
Down the san ber'dino freeway
They got some dark green air
An' you can choke all day
That's right!
Gonna spend the rest of their lives
Rest of their lives
Rest of their lives
Say now
Ain't talkin' 'bout fontana
Ain't talkin' 'bout uh uh
Ain't talkin' 'bout uh uh
Ain't talkin' 'bout uh uh
Ain't talkin' 'bout the redlands, no no
Zulch is the auto works
I'm telling you
That's where they take
All the cars that they hurt
Come on and let's all go down to san ber'dino
Ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo
Let's-a go down down down
Down in san ber'dino
Wouldja be'lieve it
San ber'dino
San ber'dino
(got to call it)
San ber'dino
(c'mere)
San ber'dino
Etc., etc., etc.
The rest of their lives
In san ber'dino
Oh bobby, I'm sorry you gotta head like a potato
I really am
George duke (keyboards, synthesizer, vocals)
Napoleon murphy brock (flute, tenor saxophone, vocals)
Chester thompson (drums)
Tom fowler (bass)
Ruth underwood (vibes, marimba, percussion)
Bloodshot rollin' red (harmonica)
Johnny "guitar" watson (vocals)
She lives in mojave in a winnebago
His name is bobby, he looks like a potato
She's in love with a boy
>from the rodeo
Who pulls the rope on the chute
When they let those suckers go
He's a slobberin' drunk at the palomino
They give him thirty days in san ber'dino
Well there's forty-four men
Stashed away in tank "see"
An' there's only one shower
But it don't apply to bobby
You may think they're
Dumb an' lonely
But you're wrong
'cause their love is strong
Stacked-up hair
An' a cheap little ring
They don't care
'cause it don't mean a thing
Looka there...
They don't care
Best-est way that
They can feel-o
Out on the highway
Rollin' a wheel-o
He's her tootsie
She's for real-o
Trailer park heaven
It's a real good deal-o
Real good deal-o
Real good deal-o
Real good deal-o
The rest of their lives
In san ber'dino
Gonna spend the rest of their lives
In san ber'dino
The rest of their lives
In san ber'dino
Come on with me
Come on with me
Come on with me
Down in san ber'dino
Just 60 miles, 60 miles
Down the san ber'dino freeway
They got some dark green air
An' you can choke all day
That's right!
Gonna spend the rest of their lives
Rest of their lives
Rest of their lives
Say now
Ain't talkin' 'bout fontana
Ain't talkin' 'bout uh uh
Ain't talkin' 'bout uh uh
Ain't talkin' 'bout uh uh
Ain't talkin' 'bout the redlands, no no
Zulch is the auto works
I'm telling you
That's where they take
All the cars that they hurt
Come on and let's all go down to san ber'dino
Ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo
Ooo-ooo
Let's-a go down down down
Down in san ber'dino
Wouldja be'lieve it
San ber'dino
San ber'dino
(got to call it)
San ber'dino
(c'mere)
San ber'dino
Etc., etc., etc.
The rest of their lives
In san ber'dino
Oh bobby, I'm sorry you gotta head like a potato
I really am
Lyrics submitted by QuiescentWonder
San Ber'dino Lyrics as written by Frank Zappa
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Maybe my favorite Zappa tune! Any Californians out there to give some insight on what some of the lyrics are saying?
Mohave: Mohave Desert<br /> Palomino: Palomino Club, a nightclub in Los Angeles which hosted many country and rock bands<br /> San Ber'dino: San Bernardino County Jail in San Bernardino, California<br /> Fontana: a city in San Bernardino County<br /> Redlands: another city in San Bernardino County<br /> Zulch Auto Works: a car repair company in San Bernardino<br /> <br /> Sorry if this isn't as interesting as you hoped (San Bernardino is in the middle of nowhere). What's more interesting is that the song is loosely based on a real life incident. It's about a six month (not thirty days) jail sentence Frank Zappa received in San Bernardino County Jail for supposedly making pornography tapes (which were fake). I know that this is also one of Weird Al Yankovic's favorite Frank Zappa songs and I have audio of him playing it on his radio show in college.<br /> <br /> I wish I knew where the potato head jokes come from (probably Mr. Potato Head), but Potato Head Bobby is a character in several other Frank Zappa songs.<br />