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.
The wheels are turning
Broken machinery
It grinds below us
And all around I see
The crooked ceiling
The old familiar halls
The dirty paper
That's covering the walls
The shattered staircase
The bed I'm bleeding in
We've tried to fight this
But we can never win
And in the gaslight
That brings both life and death
If it's like last night
This could be my last breath
And so I hold tight
To any hands I see
But nothing's alright
They're always watching me
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
No one's coming
Coming to take me home
He takes me picture
Although I don't know why
His hands are shaking
Although I see him try
To look collected
He thinks it doesn't show
We are connected
But what he doesn't know
Is when the guard comes
To take me away
I will be tortured
Until the break of day
And in the gaslight
That brings both life and death
If it's like last night
This could be my last breath
And so I hold tight
To any hands I see
But nothing's alright
They're always watching me
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
He's at the window
He's always looking down
As we are beaten
How can this fucking town
Not know what's happening
To all their little girls
They've got the pirate
They're cutting off her curls
And she is screaming
They won't leave her alone
And I am dreaming
Of joys that I've never known
And in the gaslight
That brings both life and death
If it's like last night
This could be my last breath
And so I hold tight
To any hands I see
But nothing's alright
They're always watching me
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
At least I'm breathing
At least I have my wits
But when the cart comes
Who's buried in the pits
Below my window
I hear a horse go by
And in the next cell
An inmate starts to cry
We try our best though
To quiet down the fuss
We know tomorrow
It could be one of us
And in the gaslight
That brings both life and death
If it's like last night
This could be my last breath
And so I hold tight
To any hands I see
But nothing's alright
They're always watching me
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home.
No one's coming
Coming to take me home.
Broken machinery
It grinds below us
And all around I see
The crooked ceiling
The old familiar halls
The dirty paper
That's covering the walls
The shattered staircase
The bed I'm bleeding in
We've tried to fight this
But we can never win
And in the gaslight
That brings both life and death
If it's like last night
This could be my last breath
And so I hold tight
To any hands I see
But nothing's alright
They're always watching me
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
No one's coming
Coming to take me home
He takes me picture
Although I don't know why
His hands are shaking
Although I see him try
To look collected
He thinks it doesn't show
We are connected
But what he doesn't know
Is when the guard comes
To take me away
I will be tortured
Until the break of day
And in the gaslight
That brings both life and death
If it's like last night
This could be my last breath
And so I hold tight
To any hands I see
But nothing's alright
They're always watching me
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
He's at the window
He's always looking down
As we are beaten
How can this fucking town
Not know what's happening
To all their little girls
They've got the pirate
They're cutting off her curls
And she is screaming
They won't leave her alone
And I am dreaming
Of joys that I've never known
And in the gaslight
That brings both life and death
If it's like last night
This could be my last breath
And so I hold tight
To any hands I see
But nothing's alright
They're always watching me
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
At least I'm breathing
At least I have my wits
But when the cart comes
Who's buried in the pits
Below my window
I hear a horse go by
And in the next cell
An inmate starts to cry
We try our best though
To quiet down the fuss
We know tomorrow
It could be one of us
And in the gaslight
That brings both life and death
If it's like last night
This could be my last breath
And so I hold tight
To any hands I see
But nothing's alright
They're always watching me
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home
And no one's coming
Coming to take me home.
No one's coming
Coming to take me home.
Lyrics submitted by Immunetogloom, edited by VeganRodent
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From Wikipedia:
"Gaslighting is a form of psychological abuse in which false information is presented with the intent of making a victim doubt his or her own memory and perception. It may simply be the denial by an abuser that previous abusive incidents ever occurred, or it could be the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim."