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.
Oh my, my, my-
In a dusty caravan
Was a girl with a golden tan
And she asked me if I was headed to the east
I politely stepped a side and said I did not need a ride
That I'd rather take my chances with the heat
Well, when she turned and walked away
I saw my big mistake
There were jewels on her body oh-so-rare
Had it been another day I just might have rode away
With that woman riding off to God-knows-where
So the years they came and went
And found me living in a tent
Far above a little marble stream
And it may have been the light that shone out through the night
That attracted the hand scratching on my screen
When I cautiously looked out through the night
There was no doubt
That the owner of that hand was that girl
So I bid her do come in
And I'll open up a tin
If you'll tell me 'bout your trip around the world
Well, she said,"If you think back
To the first time that we passed
I'm sure you'll picture me in all my jewels
It was shortly after then that I ran into another man
And I asked him the same question I asked you
But now he he didn't refuse
And he took off of both his shoes
And climbed aboard mu east-bound caravan
In the twinkling of the night
He knocked me off the side
And left me there for dead upon the sand
And I thought I was done
Lying naked in the sun
When much to my surprise, who should pass?
But this old friend of yours
He said he knew you from the wars
And I told him that I thought you'd headed west
Well, he said he should have known
'Cause you like to be alone
And that's the time I knew you were my one
So I asked him for a ride
Just to get here by your side
And stay here above this stream
Out of the sun"
Well, we sat quite for a while
And I began to smile
Well it's strange but I don't care
And some nights when I'm at rest
I wonder if I'd said, "yes"
Would she have come to me from God knows where
Or would I have been the one to leave her lying in the sun
And then ended up with only precious stones
Or would the woman in my arms be giving me her charms
If the answer that I gave her wasn't "no"
In a dusty caravan
Was a girl with a golden tan
And she asked me if I was headed to the east
I politely stepped a side and said I did not need a ride
That I'd rather take my chances with the heat
Well, when she turned and walked away
I saw my big mistake
There were jewels on her body oh-so-rare
Had it been another day I just might have rode away
With that woman riding off to God-knows-where
So the years they came and went
And found me living in a tent
Far above a little marble stream
And it may have been the light that shone out through the night
That attracted the hand scratching on my screen
When I cautiously looked out through the night
There was no doubt
That the owner of that hand was that girl
So I bid her do come in
And I'll open up a tin
If you'll tell me 'bout your trip around the world
Well, she said,"If you think back
To the first time that we passed
I'm sure you'll picture me in all my jewels
It was shortly after then that I ran into another man
And I asked him the same question I asked you
But now he he didn't refuse
And he took off of both his shoes
And climbed aboard mu east-bound caravan
In the twinkling of the night
He knocked me off the side
And left me there for dead upon the sand
And I thought I was done
Lying naked in the sun
When much to my surprise, who should pass?
But this old friend of yours
He said he knew you from the wars
And I told him that I thought you'd headed west
Well, he said he should have known
'Cause you like to be alone
And that's the time I knew you were my one
So I asked him for a ride
Just to get here by your side
And stay here above this stream
Out of the sun"
Well, we sat quite for a while
And I began to smile
Well it's strange but I don't care
And some nights when I'm at rest
I wonder if I'd said, "yes"
Would she have come to me from God knows where
Or would I have been the one to leave her lying in the sun
And then ended up with only precious stones
Or would the woman in my arms be giving me her charms
If the answer that I gave her wasn't "no"
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Never Tell a Woman Yes Lyrics as written by Michael Nesmith
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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