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.
Hey! Do you like music
Cos here's a song about makin' music (yeah)
I wanna write a song (whoo!)
Now let's see watcha can, do, do do
All the records you embrace
They take you to a magic place
And take your magic place along
And put that feelin'in the song
And keep on workin' through the morning
Workin' through the night
Until you see the light (That's right yeah)
Cos' you can hold it in your hands
And try to understand
If you would, you would, you would
Get down
Cos it's music, not just sound
Keep on working on something better
Better Bay - bay!
Hmmm mmm mm mmm
Ooohh yeah
Keep, keep on, keepin' on
Workin' day and night
Workin' overtime, but it feels so right
Cos' you've been, tryin' this for too long
The way to write a perfect song
Just, you just let your fingers play (yeah yeah)
And let the good vibrations come your way (whoo)
And keep on workin' through the morning
Workin' through the night
Until you see the light
You can have it you can lose it
Music gets you through it, find it to the music
Yeah yeah
Get the beat inside you wrote, to find a secret note
If you would, you would, you would
Get down
Cos it's music, not just sound
Keep on working on something better
Cos we're working on something better
Better Bay bay!
Working on something better
Keep on working on something better
Cos we're working on something better
Keep on working on something better
Keep keep keep keep work (fade out)
Cos here's a song about makin' music (yeah)
I wanna write a song (whoo!)
Now let's see watcha can, do, do do
All the records you embrace
They take you to a magic place
And take your magic place along
And put that feelin'in the song
And keep on workin' through the morning
Workin' through the night
Until you see the light (That's right yeah)
Cos' you can hold it in your hands
And try to understand
If you would, you would, you would
Get down
Cos it's music, not just sound
Keep on working on something better
Better Bay - bay!
Hmmm mmm mm mmm
Ooohh yeah
Keep, keep on, keepin' on
Workin' day and night
Workin' overtime, but it feels so right
Cos' you've been, tryin' this for too long
The way to write a perfect song
Just, you just let your fingers play (yeah yeah)
And let the good vibrations come your way (whoo)
And keep on workin' through the morning
Workin' through the night
Until you see the light
You can have it you can lose it
Music gets you through it, find it to the music
Yeah yeah
Get the beat inside you wrote, to find a secret note
If you would, you would, you would
Get down
Cos it's music, not just sound
Keep on working on something better
Cos we're working on something better
Better Bay bay!
Working on something better
Keep on working on something better
Cos we're working on something better
Keep on working on something better
Keep keep keep keep work (fade out)
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