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 boy looks high
He looks higher than the sky
You an see it in his eyes
Watch as he tries
The city never lets him go
So he never tries
The city never lets you go
So you never try
It's bigger than a breadbox
Texas, California
His path was on the parks, running Knik to Pittman
The city was a shotgun ending in sunshine
Sunshine never ends, so he never tries
Well we dug a hole
Filled it up with other holes (filled it up with other holes)
With these other holes
We found a home
Hid away our hungry men
If it takes us sixty years, I'll go
The boy looks high
He looks higher than the sky
You an see it in his eyes
Watch how he cries
The path was on a straight line
Church Street to Houston
Houston to the butte
Coming straight back to Houston
Well we dug a hole
Filled it up with other holes, with these other holes
We dug a hole
And buried all those hungry men (all the hungry men)
If it takes us sixty years, if it takes us sixty years
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig a hole and find a fire
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig another hole
Well, we found a hole
We found it with some other holes
And we climbed inside
We climbed back out
We left 'em by the hungry men
All the hungry men
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig a hole and find a fire
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig another hole
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man (the straight man)
The boy looks high
He looks higher than the sky (if it takes us sixty years)
The city never lets him go
So he never tries
The city never lets him go
So he never tries
If it takes us sixty years
Filled it up with other holes, with these other holes
If it takes us sixty years
Filled it up with other holes
The boy looks high
The boy looks high
The boy looks high
The boy looks high
The boy looks high (if it takes me)
The boy looks high (if it takes me)
The boy looks high (if it takes me)
The boy looks high (if it takes me)
The boy looks high
The boy looks high
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig a hole and find a fire
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig another hole
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He looks higher than the sky
You an see it in his eyes
Watch as he tries
The city never lets him go
So he never tries
The city never lets you go
So you never try
It's bigger than a breadbox
Texas, California
His path was on the parks, running Knik to Pittman
The city was a shotgun ending in sunshine
Sunshine never ends, so he never tries
Well we dug a hole
Filled it up with other holes (filled it up with other holes)
With these other holes
We found a home
Hid away our hungry men
If it takes us sixty years, I'll go
The boy looks high
He looks higher than the sky
You an see it in his eyes
Watch how he cries
The path was on a straight line
Church Street to Houston
Houston to the butte
Coming straight back to Houston
Well we dug a hole
Filled it up with other holes, with these other holes
We dug a hole
And buried all those hungry men (all the hungry men)
If it takes us sixty years, if it takes us sixty years
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig a hole and find a fire
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig another hole
Well, we found a hole
We found it with some other holes
And we climbed inside
We climbed back out
We left 'em by the hungry men
All the hungry men
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig a hole and find a fire
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig another hole
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man (the straight man)
The boy looks high
He looks higher than the sky (if it takes us sixty years)
The city never lets him go
So he never tries
The city never lets him go
So he never tries
If it takes us sixty years
Filled it up with other holes, with these other holes
If it takes us sixty years
Filled it up with other holes
The boy looks high
The boy looks high
The boy looks high
The boy looks high
The boy looks high (if it takes me)
The boy looks high (if it takes me)
The boy looks high (if it takes me)
The boy looks high (if it takes me)
The boy looks high
The boy looks high
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig a hole and find a fire
If it takes us sixty years
I'll dig another hole
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
He got it in his head he'd make
More money than the straight man, the straight man
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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in the 3rd line, this is what i heard: (speaker's) on the bread box (that sits) California, his path was the running (to the end)
I'm pretty confident about the first two blanks, i'm a little unsure on the last one, i had to play around with the equalizer to hear better, it could be (running to the "inn") but "end" makes more sense to me.
could be talking bout a politician speaking to a crowd.
great song tho, can't get enough of Portugal
in my opinion i think its about a drugdealer. maybe the holes being the drugs and the hungry men the customers he hooks too the drugs. might just be narrow minded but that seems like the obvious story line. listen and view the lyrics in that sense ya might see what i mean. but only portugal truly know the truth. could just be about nothing. artists like too do that shit, just comes out of nowhere but their hearts. loveeee this effin band