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.
A man darkened our doorway
He said he's here to share the good news
He had a smile straight from the movies
But when I looked down at his shoes
There were holes and they showed his toes
The right was left. The black was brown
And later on in the garage I couldn't find my chainsaw
In the distance I heard trees just falling down
I was underneath the city I was riding around on trains
Fell asleep before Nassau Ave.
And I ended up in Maine
There were big tall trees and rocky coastline
And the waves came in so wild
But for all the natural beauty there were still so many kids that were asking me for something that could help them to get high
We're all good. We're all bad
We're euphoric and we're sad
We roll the rock away and check the tomb
We're awake and we're aware that we're confused and cold and scared
And the cross reminds us that He died for me and you
Woke up in the ocean with the Honolulu Blues
Joan Didion and Graham Greene
Said roughly the same thing
You bring your Jesus to the jungle
Try to teach people to sing
All the hymns that you love because you learned them as a kid and they make perfect sense to you
There's a point in time when thousands die
And you've got to maybe think that maybe Jesus isn't getting through
We're freezing in the forest
There's no wood to heat the house
We took axes ti the furniture
We pulled the floorboards out
There's animals scratching at the door
And they know we're gonna die
There were big tall trees and rocky coastline
And the waves came in so wild
We're all wild. We're all free
We're all back from Tennessee
With the souvenirs to prove that we were there
We're flying round in planes
We're riding around in trains
Searching out those panoramic views
Woke up in the ocean with the Honolulu Blues
We're all good. We're all bad
We're euphoric and we're sad
We roll the rock away and check the tomb
We're awake and we're alarmed at the scars scratched in your arm
The cross reminds us that He died for me and you
Woke up in Oahu with the Honolulu Blues.
He said he's here to share the good news
He had a smile straight from the movies
But when I looked down at his shoes
There were holes and they showed his toes
The right was left. The black was brown
And later on in the garage I couldn't find my chainsaw
In the distance I heard trees just falling down
I was underneath the city I was riding around on trains
Fell asleep before Nassau Ave.
And I ended up in Maine
There were big tall trees and rocky coastline
And the waves came in so wild
But for all the natural beauty there were still so many kids that were asking me for something that could help them to get high
We're all good. We're all bad
We're euphoric and we're sad
We roll the rock away and check the tomb
We're awake and we're aware that we're confused and cold and scared
And the cross reminds us that He died for me and you
Woke up in the ocean with the Honolulu Blues
Joan Didion and Graham Greene
Said roughly the same thing
You bring your Jesus to the jungle
Try to teach people to sing
All the hymns that you love because you learned them as a kid and they make perfect sense to you
There's a point in time when thousands die
And you've got to maybe think that maybe Jesus isn't getting through
We're freezing in the forest
There's no wood to heat the house
We took axes ti the furniture
We pulled the floorboards out
There's animals scratching at the door
And they know we're gonna die
There were big tall trees and rocky coastline
And the waves came in so wild
We're all wild. We're all free
We're all back from Tennessee
With the souvenirs to prove that we were there
We're flying round in planes
We're riding around in trains
Searching out those panoramic views
Woke up in the ocean with the Honolulu Blues
We're all good. We're all bad
We're euphoric and we're sad
We roll the rock away and check the tomb
We're awake and we're alarmed at the scars scratched in your arm
The cross reminds us that He died for me and you
Woke up in Oahu with the Honolulu Blues.
Lyrics submitted by ksuwdboots
Honolulu Blues Lyrics as written by Craig Finn
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Does anyone know which Didion and Greene books he's referencing?