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.
So the saying says
An elephant never forgets
Standing in the concrete cave
Swaying side and sing
They walked over the ocean
And their dreams they dreamed awake
Until the lights grew dim
Until the cop cars came
Everybody tells me this is crazy, yes I know
But I'm a man man man man man man man eater
But still you're surprised when I eat ya
You know they call them killer whales
But you seem surprised
When it pinned you down to the bottom of the tank
Where you can't turn around
It took half your leg and both your lungs
And I craved I ate hearts of sharks, I know you know it
I'm a man, man, man, man, man, man, man eater
But still you're surprised when I eat ya
It will end again in moonlit song
It will end again in moonlit song
An elephant never forgets
Standing in the concrete cave
Swaying side and sing
They walked over the ocean
And their dreams they dreamed awake
Until the lights grew dim
Until the cop cars came
Everybody tells me this is crazy, yes I know
But I'm a man man man man man man man eater
But still you're surprised when I eat ya
You know they call them killer whales
But you seem surprised
When it pinned you down to the bottom of the tank
Where you can't turn around
It took half your leg and both your lungs
And I craved I ate hearts of sharks, I know you know it
I'm a man, man, man, man, man, man, man eater
But still you're surprised when I eat ya
It will end again in moonlit song
It will end again in moonlit song
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I don't necessarily think the song is about this but the following lines make me think of it:
We know They call them killer whales But you seem surprised When it pinned you down to the bottom of the tank Where you can't turn around It took half your leg, and both your lungs And I craved I ate hearts of sharks I know you know, that I'm a man, man, man Man, man, man eater But still you're surprised-prised-prised when I eat ya
Those lines make me think of how people do things they know are bad for them, but they crave it, and do it anyway. Things like smoking or heavy drugs, or even just things like obesity. I know smoking a pack of cigs a day is probably going to end up with negitive effects for me, but i crave them and keep buying them. Well should I be suprised then when that happens?