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.
[Verse 1: Ill Bill]
He was the middle son of three children, lived in my building
He went to Tildon, quiet cat, always kept to himself
He never chilled with anybody but his girlfriend, drove an ‘82 Whirlwind
Homie’s grades in school was perfect
Honor student with a talent for mathematics
Used to design computer graphics in class instead of doodling
I would write rhymes, smoke blunts on the bench at night time
While he was doing his homework and watching Nightline
Looking over MIT brochures, invitations to the Pentagon from headhunters of course
I heard that NASA was inquiring about his status
He was about to be a rookie in the NBA of mathematics
A rock star, most astronauts first round draft pick
Amongst physicists and cancer doctors
Then the CIA recruited him to be a shooter
I set him up so that Diabolic could shoot him
We planned assassination plots, lasers attached to gats that pop
Finely glued to the top of the barrel, the average shot
Could take two people’s heads off simultaneous
Aiming at cranium spraying them in the coffin displaying them
This that shoot you in the face movement
Bill and Diabolic is like Schwarzenegger and Stallone in the same movie
I’m like Bronson in the Violent City
Freedom fighter like Mumia, kill cops in Philly listen
[Joker from the Dark Knight]
Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order and everything becomes chaos. I'm an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It’s fear!
[Verse 2: Diabolic]
It was a quarter past eight o’clock, Bill called me and he named the spot
This vacant lot around the way from the bagel shop
He schooled me to exactly how the CIA would plot
To make hip hop’s value nothing more than a Jacob watch
Illustrated by what's built with ancient blocks
And the all-seeing eye through Jay’s hand that portrays the Rock
Not to worry, I had engineered, pay the cops
So they would not respond to the calls about a fatal shot
I laid atop this roof viewing through a sniper scope
What I like to call a future murder scene with righteous hope
About to light a smoke when two headlights approached
Rifle smoke strikes when they touch ground like lightning bolts
Twice the volts in the same spot amazingly
It’s two birds, one stone, met his partner from the agency
Was ex-KGB, defected through the State Department
Wanted by authorities for treason, he’s been made a target
Took my position with this loaded rifle, aimed and sparked it
A single shot killed them both, blood stained their garments
Guess all the CIA and NASA training it ain’t mattered
When his brains splattered on the pavement as his face shattered
The day after is used to cover tracks and lock the fortress
Shot our sources and disposed of all their rotting corpses
I know it’s stunning, we ain’t running like some track stars
We chill with bodies buried in Uncle Howie’s backyard
He was the middle son of three children, lived in my building
He went to Tildon, quiet cat, always kept to himself
He never chilled with anybody but his girlfriend, drove an ‘82 Whirlwind
Homie’s grades in school was perfect
Honor student with a talent for mathematics
Used to design computer graphics in class instead of doodling
I would write rhymes, smoke blunts on the bench at night time
While he was doing his homework and watching Nightline
Looking over MIT brochures, invitations to the Pentagon from headhunters of course
I heard that NASA was inquiring about his status
He was about to be a rookie in the NBA of mathematics
A rock star, most astronauts first round draft pick
Amongst physicists and cancer doctors
Then the CIA recruited him to be a shooter
I set him up so that Diabolic could shoot him
We planned assassination plots, lasers attached to gats that pop
Finely glued to the top of the barrel, the average shot
Could take two people’s heads off simultaneous
Aiming at cranium spraying them in the coffin displaying them
This that shoot you in the face movement
Bill and Diabolic is like Schwarzenegger and Stallone in the same movie
I’m like Bronson in the Violent City
Freedom fighter like Mumia, kill cops in Philly listen
[Joker from the Dark Knight]
Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order and everything becomes chaos. I'm an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It’s fear!
[Verse 2: Diabolic]
It was a quarter past eight o’clock, Bill called me and he named the spot
This vacant lot around the way from the bagel shop
He schooled me to exactly how the CIA would plot
To make hip hop’s value nothing more than a Jacob watch
Illustrated by what's built with ancient blocks
And the all-seeing eye through Jay’s hand that portrays the Rock
Not to worry, I had engineered, pay the cops
So they would not respond to the calls about a fatal shot
I laid atop this roof viewing through a sniper scope
What I like to call a future murder scene with righteous hope
About to light a smoke when two headlights approached
Rifle smoke strikes when they touch ground like lightning bolts
Twice the volts in the same spot amazingly
It’s two birds, one stone, met his partner from the agency
Was ex-KGB, defected through the State Department
Wanted by authorities for treason, he’s been made a target
Took my position with this loaded rifle, aimed and sparked it
A single shot killed them both, blood stained their garments
Guess all the CIA and NASA training it ain’t mattered
When his brains splattered on the pavement as his face shattered
The day after is used to cover tracks and lock the fortress
Shot our sources and disposed of all their rotting corpses
I know it’s stunning, we ain’t running like some track stars
We chill with bodies buried in Uncle Howie’s backyard
Lyrics submitted by hurpdurp
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.