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.
Wake up sixty minutes after my head hits the pillow I can't live like this
And in the shower I am a sailor standing waiting ready for the ship to list
Everything looks burned up I'm too scared to look around
Don't feel like going on but come on make a joyful sound
If you will believe in your heart and confess with your lips
Surely you will be saved one day
Try to think of ways to fix myself but everything ends in a cul-de-sac
The beast broke from the barn while we were sleeping
Face it face it he's not coming back
Don't see what the point is in even trying to fight
Look for the bigger picture when I close my eyes real tight
If you will believe in your heart and confess with your lips
Surely you will be saved one day
Look for the sign of Daniel, consider the clues
Wait as long as I have to for good news
Wake and rise and face the day and try to stop the day from staring back at me
Busy hours for joyful hearts and later maybe head out to the pharmacy
Won't take the medication but it's good to have around
A kind and loving God won't let my small ship run aground
If you will believe in your heart and confess with your lips
Surely you will be saved one day
And in the shower I am a sailor standing waiting ready for the ship to list
Everything looks burned up I'm too scared to look around
Don't feel like going on but come on make a joyful sound
If you will believe in your heart and confess with your lips
Surely you will be saved one day
Try to think of ways to fix myself but everything ends in a cul-de-sac
The beast broke from the barn while we were sleeping
Face it face it he's not coming back
Don't see what the point is in even trying to fight
Look for the bigger picture when I close my eyes real tight
If you will believe in your heart and confess with your lips
Surely you will be saved one day
Look for the sign of Daniel, consider the clues
Wait as long as I have to for good news
Wake and rise and face the day and try to stop the day from staring back at me
Busy hours for joyful hearts and later maybe head out to the pharmacy
Won't take the medication but it's good to have around
A kind and loving God won't let my small ship run aground
If you will believe in your heart and confess with your lips
Surely you will be saved one day
Lyrics submitted by mdon06, edited by anthonycmontana, iagoed
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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I'm pretty confident that the second line is indeed "waiting for the ship to list" -- that is, for the boat to lean precipitously to one side or the other. "Shift list" was going around the net early, but "shift list" makes less sense and doesn't match the sounds of what he sings. I hear a distinct unaccented sound after the "t"; if he sings "shift list," it's more like “shift-a list." But why would he be waiting for a "shift list" (whatever that might be) while showering? On the other hand, when you're showering in a boat, a sudden change in the boat's level can throw you; you want to be alert for a ship listing when you're standing in a slippery space.
I'm just listening to the demo from "The Life of the World in Flux," though, and he uses a different line in the demo from that recording.
"And in the shower the little soaps and shampoos seem like ancient bottled ambergris" -- so evidently he was working on that line through the recording process.