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.
The leads are weak, the leads are weak, fucking leads are weak?
You're weak
Remember when America had a middle class
And an upper class, that was way before the exodus
That was the America that we thought was number one,
Thought would overcome, thought would never die
That was just our pride and faith, two shitty deadly sins
I know faith isn't one of 'em but it should have been
Cause when things were crumbling, we had no camaraderie
Just a faith someone would save us from despondence
We called it America (whoa)
Number one America was a slogan used to keep morale up
When we knew we were already cooked
Then the richer western states, succeeded in secession
And the eastern ones followed right behind
Mexi-Can-America was the perfect name that
Epitomized the order of significance, authority and affluence
We had turned it all around
Went from number one straight to number two (shit)
We called it America (whoa)
National bankruptcy, circumcised society
USA dined and ditched, Fox reports "poor is the new rich"
We called it America (whoa)
You're weak
Remember when America had a middle class
And an upper class, that was way before the exodus
That was the America that we thought was number one,
Thought would overcome, thought would never die
That was just our pride and faith, two shitty deadly sins
I know faith isn't one of 'em but it should have been
Cause when things were crumbling, we had no camaraderie
Just a faith someone would save us from despondence
We called it America (whoa)
Number one America was a slogan used to keep morale up
When we knew we were already cooked
Then the richer western states, succeeded in secession
And the eastern ones followed right behind
Mexi-Can-America was the perfect name that
Epitomized the order of significance, authority and affluence
We had turned it all around
Went from number one straight to number two (shit)
We called it America (whoa)
National bankruptcy, circumcised society
USA dined and ditched, Fox reports "poor is the new rich"
We called it America (whoa)
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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LOL that's what I was thinking too. What happened to "we hate whoas"? LOL
Yeahh me too that's what i was thinking about when I heard the song for the first time... but i like anyway
Well they don't play ska anymore either, or so the song says. I always thought of whoa on the whoas was about using them too damn much