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.
Perfect little spouses
In perfect little houses
It's family fun time
Let's commit a hate crime
If I can't be loved
Then I'll be hated
I'm disconnected
I'm uninspired
I'm burning in water
I'm drowning in fire
I'm trapped inside my mind
Beneath these piles of stinking life
You use this abuse to keep me conquered
You're so absurdly common
Vacant faces
Brainless strangers
Sputtering, stuttering insect language
I'm the creature you created
Everyday I grow jaded
Calloused and exaspered
If I'll never be loved
Then I'll be hated
I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages
Rogues, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels
Do we sit still
Under attack
Or do we start pushing back?
Never back up
Never back down
And fight
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
I'm human pollution
I covet retribution
I'm just a big mistake
A defect you can subjugate
Your ridicule is just typical antics
Spineless, mindless, tragic, fanatic
Puritan, bigot, lunatic, hypocrite
To save my soul from disaster
Self-destruction could be the answer
If I'll never be loved
Then I'll be hated
I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages
Rogues, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels
Do we sit still
Under attack
Or do we start pushing back?
Never back up
Never back down
And fight
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
Masochistic
So sadistic
All they see is another statistic
Maybe I'm a misfit, maybe I'm different
It will never be an average existence
Masochistic
So sadistic
All they see is another statistic
If I can't be loved
Then I'll be hated
It's family fun time
Let's commit a hate crime
War, war
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages
Rogues, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels
Do we sit still
Under attack
Or do we start pushing back?
Never back up
Never back down
And fight
War, war
In perfect little houses
It's family fun time
Let's commit a hate crime
If I can't be loved
Then I'll be hated
I'm disconnected
I'm uninspired
I'm burning in water
I'm drowning in fire
I'm trapped inside my mind
Beneath these piles of stinking life
You use this abuse to keep me conquered
You're so absurdly common
Vacant faces
Brainless strangers
Sputtering, stuttering insect language
I'm the creature you created
Everyday I grow jaded
Calloused and exaspered
If I'll never be loved
Then I'll be hated
I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages
Rogues, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels
Do we sit still
Under attack
Or do we start pushing back?
Never back up
Never back down
And fight
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
I'm human pollution
I covet retribution
I'm just a big mistake
A defect you can subjugate
Your ridicule is just typical antics
Spineless, mindless, tragic, fanatic
Puritan, bigot, lunatic, hypocrite
To save my soul from disaster
Self-destruction could be the answer
If I'll never be loved
Then I'll be hated
I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages
Rogues, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels
Do we sit still
Under attack
Or do we start pushing back?
Never back up
Never back down
And fight
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
Masochistic
So sadistic
All they see is another statistic
Maybe I'm a misfit, maybe I'm different
It will never be an average existence
Masochistic
So sadistic
All they see is another statistic
If I can't be loved
Then I'll be hated
It's family fun time
Let's commit a hate crime
War, war
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
Rise, rebel, resist
Rise, rebel, make a fist, resist
I'm the one of the freaks, the faggots, the geeks, the savages
Rogues, rebels, dissident devils, artists, martyrs, infidels
Do we sit still
Under attack
Or do we start pushing back?
Never back up
Never back down
And fight
War, war
Lyrics submitted by 11milleran
Rise Rebel Resist Lyrics as written by Mark Bistany Jason Mcguire
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I was listening to this song again today, and comparing it to Confrontation from the last album, and there's a lot of similarity, both in the content and message, and even down to the alliterative chant chorus; "Rise / Rebel / Resist" vs "Stand Up / Speak Out / Strike Back". They're both excellent songs, though they do tread on each other's toes a little.