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 crumpled ocean with no boat trip
The dark waters stole my clothing
The shape stirs beneath me
A pulse pounds along blood streams
First bite marks, the beginning of
The clotheless wrestle,
The clotheless animal
Bare those teeth to me please, my meter
You can see all of me, naked with fear
This is the test I left land for
To grip flesh and pull muscle
Well, the vice grips of the struggle
I can't give into, we owe the clotheless
Wrestle, the clotheless
Animal, animal, animal, animal
My enemy, please stay close to me
No breath left, cold breath thief
The last gasp of air, burst lung
They fight fathers, the weak son
The last taste of salt in my mouth
The skin breaks, there's no sound
They tore me limb from limb
There is bone, there is gristle
I'm despairing
The clotheless wrestle
The clotheless animal
Animal, animal, animal
The dark waters stole my clothing
The shape stirs beneath me
A pulse pounds along blood streams
First bite marks, the beginning of
The clotheless wrestle,
The clotheless animal
Bare those teeth to me please, my meter
You can see all of me, naked with fear
This is the test I left land for
To grip flesh and pull muscle
Well, the vice grips of the struggle
I can't give into, we owe the clotheless
Wrestle, the clotheless
Animal, animal, animal, animal
My enemy, please stay close to me
No breath left, cold breath thief
The last gasp of air, burst lung
They fight fathers, the weak son
The last taste of salt in my mouth
The skin breaks, there's no sound
They tore me limb from limb
There is bone, there is gristle
I'm despairing
The clotheless wrestle
The clotheless animal
Animal, animal, animal
Lyrics submitted by waitingtowashaway, edited by smallwonderrobot
The Wrestle Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
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seems like it's about his internal struggle now that he's swam away from the girl throwing rocks at him from land (from 'swim until you can't see land'). the beast that is attacking him is his own mind.