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.
Looking at the radio caught up in a dream
'Bout the days gone by when no one had a TV
Hopin' that the weather man would say good things
Like no rain on Friday for the drive in movie
Little kids didn't have a care
There was love growin' up everywhere
But when I open my eyes and the dream stops playin'
You can still find me somewhere saying
I shoulda been born in forty-five
In fifty-four I woulda been nine
Lovin' my record player by my side
That woulda been nice yeah, that woulda been nice
I shoulda been born in forty-five
My first pair of high heels in fifty-nine
White shirt, poodle skirt, silk hair tie
Dancing in the moonlight that woulda been nice
Ooh, ooh
Oh that woulda been nice
Ooh, ooh
Boom box on my shoulder wit my favorite tape
I'm reppin' my eight tracks and my buckle up skates
How do I know about that you say, you say
You wear bell bottom jeans get a double take
From all the guys and the girls who look your way
Back then people didn't always agree
But the love goin' round was revolutionary and
Even though the world was crazy
I'd still go if my dreams could take me oh
I shoulda been born in sixty-five
In seventy-four I woulda been nine
Tryna' get home after playin outside
Racin' street lights, racin' street lights
I shoulda been born in sixty-five
I woulda been a teenager round seventy-nine
Teasing my hair so it looks just right
On a Saturday night, yeah that woulda been nice
Growin' up I never really had a care
There was love all the time and everywhere
And even though sometimes my world may get a little crazy
I find myself bein' proud when I say
I coulda been born in forty-five
But the truth is I got here right on time
And I thank God for every day of life
It suits me just right, it suits me just right
And lovely nineteen ninety-one
That's the year that I come from
And I wouldn't wanna trade it for another time
I love this life yeah, I love this life
Ooh ooh
I love this life
Ooh ooh
I love this life
'Bout the days gone by when no one had a TV
Hopin' that the weather man would say good things
Like no rain on Friday for the drive in movie
Little kids didn't have a care
There was love growin' up everywhere
But when I open my eyes and the dream stops playin'
You can still find me somewhere saying
I shoulda been born in forty-five
In fifty-four I woulda been nine
Lovin' my record player by my side
That woulda been nice yeah, that woulda been nice
I shoulda been born in forty-five
My first pair of high heels in fifty-nine
White shirt, poodle skirt, silk hair tie
Dancing in the moonlight that woulda been nice
Ooh, ooh
Oh that woulda been nice
Ooh, ooh
Boom box on my shoulder wit my favorite tape
I'm reppin' my eight tracks and my buckle up skates
How do I know about that you say, you say
You wear bell bottom jeans get a double take
From all the guys and the girls who look your way
Back then people didn't always agree
But the love goin' round was revolutionary and
Even though the world was crazy
I'd still go if my dreams could take me oh
I shoulda been born in sixty-five
In seventy-four I woulda been nine
Tryna' get home after playin outside
Racin' street lights, racin' street lights
I shoulda been born in sixty-five
I woulda been a teenager round seventy-nine
Teasing my hair so it looks just right
On a Saturday night, yeah that woulda been nice
Growin' up I never really had a care
There was love all the time and everywhere
And even though sometimes my world may get a little crazy
I find myself bein' proud when I say
I coulda been born in forty-five
But the truth is I got here right on time
And I thank God for every day of life
It suits me just right, it suits me just right
And lovely nineteen ninety-one
That's the year that I come from
And I wouldn't wanna trade it for another time
I love this life yeah, I love this life
Ooh ooh
I love this life
Ooh ooh
I love this life
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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
It's about wishing to be from a different time but knowing that God put you here now for a reason