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.
If there's a God, he is laughing at us
And our football team.
Effington could be a wonderful effing place
I can see it from the highway and I'm wondering
Are they effing in their yards?
Effing in their cars?
Effing in the trailers in the back roads and the parking lots
Of Effington? Making my way to Normal, Illinois.
Maybe I should ditch this little white rental on the interstate,
Start a new effing life in Effington.
I could change my name, grow a beard, start a family
Or I could just keep on moving on, moving on, moving on, moving on
And not stop 'til I get to Normal.
[Chorus]
I want to live in Effington.
I want to die there too.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington, in Effington, oh
I've got this movie in my mind of Effington
And the soundtrack to it sounds like this
[Chorus]
If there's a God he is laughing at us
And our football team.
And then the people who live in Normal
Can buy the movies that I'll make in Effington
That's what Normal people do
Do Normal people do it too?
Normal people do it, people do it, people do it
[Chorus]
In Effington, in Effington, in Effington!
And our football team.
Effington could be a wonderful effing place
I can see it from the highway and I'm wondering
Are they effing in their yards?
Effing in their cars?
Effing in the trailers in the back roads and the parking lots
Of Effington? Making my way to Normal, Illinois.
Maybe I should ditch this little white rental on the interstate,
Start a new effing life in Effington.
I could change my name, grow a beard, start a family
Or I could just keep on moving on, moving on, moving on, moving on
And not stop 'til I get to Normal.
[Chorus]
I want to live in Effington.
I want to die there too.
Please bury me in Effington
In Effington, in Effington, oh
I've got this movie in my mind of Effington
And the soundtrack to it sounds like this
[Chorus]
If there's a God he is laughing at us
And our football team.
And then the people who live in Normal
Can buy the movies that I'll make in Effington
That's what Normal people do
Do Normal people do it too?
Normal people do it, people do it, people do it
[Chorus]
In Effington, in Effington, in Effington!
Lyrics submitted by StuffLikeHearts
Effington Lyrics as written by Benjamin Scott Folds Ben Folds
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Its funny because my buddy and I made the same joke about Effingham everytime we drove past the city limits sign.
"We're in F'ing ham?"