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.
Well all my friends treated me so well
You know I'm headed out to that Mission Bell
Gonna wash my soul, gonna get it clean
Heading down the border road called the El Camino
Well I've been a prince, you know I've been a post
By a barb wire fence and a murder of crows
I believe in all I've loved and all I have seen
Heading down border road called the El Camino
Heading down border road called the El Camine
Yeah my hearts grown sick,
I've got a shepherds crook as a walking stick
And I'm heading on.
Yeah my hearts gone blue and I've done wrong by you
I don't know what to do
But I'm moving on, yeah I'm moving on
One and one is two, two and two is four
I'm walking back and forth
On your cracked tiled kitchen floor
With the orange juice and the sun that shines
It really breaks my heart leaving you behind,
It really breaks my heart leaving you behind
All my ships have sailed away
The price of this politic,
That there's plenty of time to play.
Plenty of time to waste away.
Well to all my friends, that I've loved the most
You know I'm heading out to that other coast
Gonna wash my soul, gonna get it clean
Heading down the border road, called the El Camino,
Heading down the border road, called the El Camine.
You know I'm headed out to that Mission Bell
Gonna wash my soul, gonna get it clean
Heading down the border road called the El Camino
Well I've been a prince, you know I've been a post
By a barb wire fence and a murder of crows
I believe in all I've loved and all I have seen
Heading down border road called the El Camino
Heading down border road called the El Camine
Yeah my hearts grown sick,
I've got a shepherds crook as a walking stick
And I'm heading on.
Yeah my hearts gone blue and I've done wrong by you
I don't know what to do
But I'm moving on, yeah I'm moving on
One and one is two, two and two is four
I'm walking back and forth
On your cracked tiled kitchen floor
With the orange juice and the sun that shines
It really breaks my heart leaving you behind,
It really breaks my heart leaving you behind
All my ships have sailed away
The price of this politic,
That there's plenty of time to play.
Plenty of time to waste away.
Well to all my friends, that I've loved the most
You know I'm heading out to that other coast
Gonna wash my soul, gonna get it clean
Heading down the border road, called the El Camino,
Heading down the border road, called the El Camine.
Lyrics submitted by TheDevilWearsPrada, edited by mjtrulli
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"Well all my friends treated me so well": This is sarcastic. His friends didn't treat him well.
"You know I'm headed out to that Mission Bell Gonna wash my soul, gonna get it clean Heading down the border road called the El Camino They told him there was an industry party at the Mission Inn and Spa in California.
Well I've been a prince, you know I've been opposed. By a barb wire fence and a murder of crows I believe in all I've loved and all I have seen Heading down border road called the El Camino": He believed in his friends and that he could trust them. When he got to the pary a bunch of Prince's people confront him and opposed the references that were often made comparing the artists. One of them had a tatoo of barbed wire around his bicept. The border road is the road you walk when you're about to cross a line.
"Yeah my hearts grown sick, I've got a shepherds crook as a walking stick And I'm heading on. Yeah my hearts gone blue and I've done wrong by you I don't know what to do But I'm moving on, yeah I'm moving on": As the party got going he drank too much and did somethings he regretted. He ended up limping out of there the next day. He had a girlfriend back home that received some photos of his activities.They broke up.
"One and one is two, two and two is four I'm walking back and forth On your cracked tiled kitchen floor With the orange juice and the sun that shines It really breaks my heart leaving you behind, It really breaks my heart leaving you behind": He wished he would've brought his girlfriend (1 and 1 is 2, a couple) He wouldn't of gotten involved in a 4-some with a woman that had a spray tan so thick they called her orange juice. The sun was definitely shining that night and they did a lot of back and forth on the kitchen floor.
All my ships have sailed away The price of this politic, That there's plenty of time to play. Plenty of time to waste away." His girlfriend is gone. He struck a deal with Prince's people, now there is plenty time to play, plenty of time to waste away.
"Well to all my friends, that I've loved the most You know I'm heading out to that other coast Gonna wash my soul, gonna get it clean Heading down the border road, called the El Camino, Heading down the border road, called the El Camine.": He trusted his friends but, he'll never talk to them again. He's head back to the East Coast to try and work it out with his girlfriend.