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.
Can't remember anything at all
Flame trees line the streets
Can't remember anything at all
But I'm driving my car down to Geneva
I've been sitting in my basement patio
Aye it was hot up above
Girls walk past, their roses all in bloom
Have you ever heard about the Higgs Boson Blues?
I'm going down to Geneva, baby
Gonna teach it to you
Who cares?
Who cares what the future brings?
Black road long and I drove and drove
And came upon a crossroad
The night was hot and black
I see Robert Johnson with a 10-dollar guitar
Strapped to his back looking for a tomb
Ah, well here comes Lucifer with his canon law
And a hundred black babies running from his genocidal jaw
He got the real killer groove
Robert Johnson and the devil, man
Don't know who is gonna rip off who
Driving my car, flame trees on fire
Sitting and singing the Higgs Boson Blues
I'm tired, I'm looking for a spot to drop
All the clocks have stopped
In Memphis now in the Lorraine Motel
It's hot, it's hot - that's why they call it the Hot Spot
I take a room with a view
Hear a man preaching in a language that's completely new, yeah
And making the hot cocks in the flophouse bleed
While the cleaning ladies sob into their mops
And a bellhop hops and bops
A shot rings out to a spiritual groove
Everybody bleeding to that Higgs Boson Blues
And if I die tonight
Bury me in my favorite yellow patent leather shoes
With a mummified cat and a cone-like hat
That the caliphate forced on the Jews
Ah, can you feel my heartbeat?
Can you feel my heartbeat?
Hannah Montana does the African Savannah
As the simulated rainy season begins
She curses the queue at the Zulu's
And moves on to Amazonia
And cries with the dolphins
Mau Mau ate the pygmy
The pygmy ate the monkey
The monkey has a gift
That he is sending back to you
Look, here comes the missionary
With his smallpox and flu
He's saving them, the savages
With his Higgs Boson Blues
I'm driving my car down to Geneva
I'm driving my car down to Geneva
Oh let the damn day break
The rainy days always make me sad
Miley Cyrus floats in a swimming pool in Toluca Lake
And you're the best girl I've ever had
Can't remember anything at all
Flame trees line the streets
Can't remember anything at all
But I'm driving my car down to Geneva
I've been sitting in my basement patio
Aye it was hot up above
Girls walk past, their roses all in bloom
Have you ever heard about the Higgs Boson Blues?
I'm going down to Geneva, baby
Gonna teach it to you
Who cares?
Who cares what the future brings?
Black road long and I drove and drove
And came upon a crossroad
The night was hot and black
I see Robert Johnson with a 10-dollar guitar
Strapped to his back looking for a tomb
Ah, well here comes Lucifer with his canon law
And a hundred black babies running from his genocidal jaw
He got the real killer groove
Robert Johnson and the devil, man
Don't know who is gonna rip off who
Driving my car, flame trees on fire
Sitting and singing the Higgs Boson Blues
I'm tired, I'm looking for a spot to drop
All the clocks have stopped
In Memphis now in the Lorraine Motel
It's hot, it's hot - that's why they call it the Hot Spot
I take a room with a view
Hear a man preaching in a language that's completely new, yeah
And making the hot cocks in the flophouse bleed
While the cleaning ladies sob into their mops
And a bellhop hops and bops
A shot rings out to a spiritual groove
Everybody bleeding to that Higgs Boson Blues
And if I die tonight
Bury me in my favorite yellow patent leather shoes
With a mummified cat and a cone-like hat
That the caliphate forced on the Jews
Ah, can you feel my heartbeat?
Can you feel my heartbeat?
Hannah Montana does the African Savannah
As the simulated rainy season begins
She curses the queue at the Zulu's
And moves on to Amazonia
And cries with the dolphins
Mau Mau ate the pygmy
The pygmy ate the monkey
The monkey has a gift
That he is sending back to you
Look, here comes the missionary
With his smallpox and flu
He's saving them, the savages
With his Higgs Boson Blues
I'm driving my car down to Geneva
I'm driving my car down to Geneva
Oh let the damn day break
The rainy days always make me sad
Miley Cyrus floats in a swimming pool in Toluca Lake
And you're the best girl I've ever had
Can't remember anything at all
Lyrics submitted by smallwonderrobot, edited by DrunkFly, dickymoore
Higgs Boson Blues Lyrics as written by Warren Ellis Nicholas Cave
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Mute Song Limited
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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for me its either about an experience of drug withdrawal or drug usage.
Gonna teach it to you --> withdrawal
Who cares? Who cares what the future brings? --> usage
in my opinion it's about someone who checks into a motel who writes down everything he is experiencing on his trip and stay there. i'm pretty sure it's drug related.
actually I meant to say, the Lorainne Motel in Memphis<br />
I believe that it is too reductive to say that's just about drugs. Althought I remember Nick mentioning how he used to go to Brighton (before he was married) just to lock himself in a hotel room and drink and sweat and stay away from drugs. (So maybe that's why he says: "It's hot, it's hot, that's why they call it the Hot-Spot"