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.
I was born on Snake Hill
And that's where I'll probably die
Because I don't like to kill
But I've got poison in my bite
Well, I feel safe to say
That I should probably stay upon Snake Hill
My mother told me, "Son
You got strychnine in your blood
It comes from pedigree ancestory"
She warned me not to leave
Said my concience was too deep
That when I bite
It would hurt mostly me
For many many years
I stayed up on that hill
Occasionaly I'd go down to the edge
Just to see what I could see
So curiousity got the best of me
Well, it's a big world and it's not fair to me
To stay up there when there's so much to see
I want to play with others that I need to meet
Poison will be poison till it's through
Soon I hit the world
I discovered that a girl
Was what my mother tried to hide from me
She could make you feel alive
She could make you want to die
And that's exactly what she did to me
And it was only self defense
But I coiled up and I bit
I let my venom run into her veins
And I sat and watched her die
To me
Then I realized
I was born on Snake Hill
And that's where I'll probably die
Because I don't like to kill
But I've got poison in my bite
Well, I feel safe to say
That I should probably stay upon Snake Hill
And it's a big world and it's not fair to me
To have to stay when there's so much to see
I want to play with others that I need to meet
And poison will be poison till it's through
Poison will be poison till it's through
Poison will be poison till it's through
Poison will be poison till it's through
And that's where I'll probably die
Because I don't like to kill
But I've got poison in my bite
Well, I feel safe to say
That I should probably stay upon Snake Hill
My mother told me, "Son
You got strychnine in your blood
It comes from pedigree ancestory"
She warned me not to leave
Said my concience was too deep
That when I bite
It would hurt mostly me
For many many years
I stayed up on that hill
Occasionaly I'd go down to the edge
Just to see what I could see
So curiousity got the best of me
Well, it's a big world and it's not fair to me
To stay up there when there's so much to see
I want to play with others that I need to meet
Poison will be poison till it's through
Soon I hit the world
I discovered that a girl
Was what my mother tried to hide from me
She could make you feel alive
She could make you want to die
And that's exactly what she did to me
And it was only self defense
But I coiled up and I bit
I let my venom run into her veins
And I sat and watched her die
To me
Then I realized
I was born on Snake Hill
And that's where I'll probably die
Because I don't like to kill
But I've got poison in my bite
Well, I feel safe to say
That I should probably stay upon Snake Hill
And it's a big world and it's not fair to me
To have to stay when there's so much to see
I want to play with others that I need to meet
And poison will be poison till it's through
Poison will be poison till it's through
Poison will be poison till it's through
Poison will be poison till it's through
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is he maybe talking about.. making a girl fall in love with him and all he does is break hearts?? i dunno, i suck at songmeanings obviously