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.
I'm a pale imitator of a boy in the sky,
With a cap in his head and a knot in his tie.
I'm the light in the mall when the power is gone,
A shadow in a corner, just playin' along!
I'm gonna lay in my bed, I'm rolling aside,
But if a get a car- A moment to ride.
Because I know if I ever tear living with you
You've got a holding chainAnd you don't know what to do!
You'd stop!
You wanna do it but you don't know what you doin' baby! A-a-a-a-aha!
You wanna feel it, but you don't know what you're feeling tonight!
And if you're thinking, and I don't know what you're thinking baby! A-a-a-a-aha!
You go on thinking and you gonna make it alright!
I'm impregnable, incredible, the setting of quoI'm a late Jimi writer, not a heart and soul.
Got Saturday night, enough's been said.
If I ever had to do it, well, you know I wouldn't care.
I'd just get down, I'm loving the feat, and if I wanna talk back, the message is free!
I never found a ray and...And if you can't partake, you get 'em alive.
You get a heart--ache..
You wanna do it but you don't know what you doin' baby! A-a-a-a-aha!
You wanna feel it, but you don't know what you're feeling tonight!
And if you're thinking, and I don't know what you're thinking baby! A-a-a-a-aha!
You go on thinking and you gonna make it alright!
Every time we try, we get nowhere!
But wouldn't it be nice if we were just normal people, yeah.
Trying so hard to act like we don't care...
But it's true, you do, nothing is left,
So I guess I'm right!
New word, onomatopoeia... boom! Quit acting like you don't wanna be here.
Fuck around and get jumped like leap year.
Glock and a glove make you really wanna leave me a...lone, get off, go'n, go'n.
OK, OK, OK back to the happy zone,
Rap ain't nuttin' but the art talking ish.
My girl look pretty up there, ridin' it.
My plaid pants, my solid future, Asinine ass, and a gorgeous coochie.
I'm an outcast, but you're into me. Summer got mad cause Winter blew me.
That juicy fruit, that shplooshy-shploosh. Generation X on bloop de bloop!
Get duked out, or get duked-duked.
Er'rybody hit the floor, we through the roof, Ha!
Like a chimney, I commend me. How come it be, some lame, man,
Nigga talkin' 'bout "Aww, he don't rap enough"
But y'all rap a lot and I'm like "Wrap it up, hoe"
Ye ain' Scarface, ye ain' Willie D, Ye ain' Bushwick, ye ain' killin' me.
Better play wit' yo ma'fuckin' mama, Bet you still stay wi' yo ma'fuckin' mama.
Keep sleeping on me, I'mma rock my pajamas!
In the daytime I swear, I promise.
Dare a nigger say som', tear a nigga face off. How come blacks don't play baseball?
Y'all white, know y'all can taste all this fly shit! I stay finna take off.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang!
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Ye ain't fresh squeezed juice, nigga, you that Tang!
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
But is ya really Slick Rick? No you Dana Dane!
Bet it up, head erupts, A lava language, and the vocals volcanic.
If it ain't fix, don't broke it, don't panic,
If it ain't this, it ain't shit, goddammit,
If it ain't this, it ain't dope, it don't flush,
If it ain't hip, it don't hop, well then hush.
Man, they sound like! Man, they stole yo! Man, they look like-! Nope it ain't us.
Ah, Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang,
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Is ya really Slick Rick? No you Dana Dane!
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang!
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang!Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang!
Ye ain't fresh squeezed juice, nigga, you that Tang!
Every time we try, we get nowhere.
But wouldn't it be nice if we were just normal people, yeah.
Trying so hard to act like we don't care (I don't care)
But it's true, you do, nothing is left.
So I guess I'm right!
Flip the page, our days are revelations (Hiiide!)
Space is strange, doctor, I've got no patience!
Oh, it's all a part of the process (Okay, okay)
Nothin's new, it's true, cool, I admit, shit, I guess you're right!
With a cap in his head and a knot in his tie.
I'm the light in the mall when the power is gone,
A shadow in a corner, just playin' along!
I'm gonna lay in my bed, I'm rolling aside,
But if a get a car- A moment to ride.
Because I know if I ever tear living with you
You've got a holding chainAnd you don't know what to do!
You'd stop!
You wanna do it but you don't know what you doin' baby! A-a-a-a-aha!
You wanna feel it, but you don't know what you're feeling tonight!
And if you're thinking, and I don't know what you're thinking baby! A-a-a-a-aha!
You go on thinking and you gonna make it alright!
I'm impregnable, incredible, the setting of quoI'm a late Jimi writer, not a heart and soul.
Got Saturday night, enough's been said.
If I ever had to do it, well, you know I wouldn't care.
I'd just get down, I'm loving the feat, and if I wanna talk back, the message is free!
I never found a ray and...And if you can't partake, you get 'em alive.
You get a heart--ache..
You wanna do it but you don't know what you doin' baby! A-a-a-a-aha!
You wanna feel it, but you don't know what you're feeling tonight!
And if you're thinking, and I don't know what you're thinking baby! A-a-a-a-aha!
You go on thinking and you gonna make it alright!
Every time we try, we get nowhere!
But wouldn't it be nice if we were just normal people, yeah.
Trying so hard to act like we don't care...
But it's true, you do, nothing is left,
So I guess I'm right!
New word, onomatopoeia... boom! Quit acting like you don't wanna be here.
Fuck around and get jumped like leap year.
Glock and a glove make you really wanna leave me a...lone, get off, go'n, go'n.
OK, OK, OK back to the happy zone,
Rap ain't nuttin' but the art talking ish.
My girl look pretty up there, ridin' it.
My plaid pants, my solid future, Asinine ass, and a gorgeous coochie.
I'm an outcast, but you're into me. Summer got mad cause Winter blew me.
That juicy fruit, that shplooshy-shploosh. Generation X on bloop de bloop!
Get duked out, or get duked-duked.
Er'rybody hit the floor, we through the roof, Ha!
Like a chimney, I commend me. How come it be, some lame, man,
Nigga talkin' 'bout "Aww, he don't rap enough"
But y'all rap a lot and I'm like "Wrap it up, hoe"
Ye ain' Scarface, ye ain' Willie D, Ye ain' Bushwick, ye ain' killin' me.
Better play wit' yo ma'fuckin' mama, Bet you still stay wi' yo ma'fuckin' mama.
Keep sleeping on me, I'mma rock my pajamas!
In the daytime I swear, I promise.
Dare a nigger say som', tear a nigga face off. How come blacks don't play baseball?
Y'all white, know y'all can taste all this fly shit! I stay finna take off.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang!
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Ye ain't fresh squeezed juice, nigga, you that Tang!
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
But is ya really Slick Rick? No you Dana Dane!
Bet it up, head erupts, A lava language, and the vocals volcanic.
If it ain't fix, don't broke it, don't panic,
If it ain't this, it ain't shit, goddammit,
If it ain't this, it ain't dope, it don't flush,
If it ain't hip, it don't hop, well then hush.
Man, they sound like! Man, they stole yo! Man, they look like-! Nope it ain't us.
Ah, Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang,
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang.
Is ya really Slick Rick? No you Dana Dane!
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang!
Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang!Do ya damn thang, do ya thang-a-thang!
Ye ain't fresh squeezed juice, nigga, you that Tang!
Every time we try, we get nowhere.
But wouldn't it be nice if we were just normal people, yeah.
Trying so hard to act like we don't care (I don't care)
But it's true, you do, nothing is left.
So I guess I'm right!
Flip the page, our days are revelations (Hiiide!)
Space is strange, doctor, I've got no patience!
Oh, it's all a part of the process (Okay, okay)
Nothin's new, it's true, cool, I admit, shit, I guess you're right!
Lyrics submitted by yamsrock
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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Ok guys, look. I know all those other people did a good job, but what you have to understand is how many lyrics there are. You can pull on any loose thread and say “o, this is what it means.” But that’s the thing. Either 1- it’s so complex we may never know what it means, or 2- is just saying “do your thing”. Go along with what you want. Choose what idea you think.