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 had me a girl
Who taught me those things
A young man should know
Down, down on my knees
I'd beg and I'd plead
To learn a little bit more
Oh that woman taught me to pray
I saw Heaven every day
Lord, she could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I, I had me a boy
Who buttoned me down
Threw me a line
He, he washed me as clean
As a sinner could be
Showed me the light
Ooo that boy, he taught me to pray
But for all of his spit-shinin' ways
Lord, he could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I had me a girl
Like cigarette smoke
She came and she went
I slipped through his hands
To my back door man
Under his chin
Oh that woman taught me to pray
But for all her wandering ways
She could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh [Repeat]
Who taught me those things
A young man should know
Down, down on my knees
I'd beg and I'd plead
To learn a little bit more
Oh that woman taught me to pray
I saw Heaven every day
Lord, she could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I, I had me a boy
Who buttoned me down
Threw me a line
He, he washed me as clean
As a sinner could be
Showed me the light
Ooo that boy, he taught me to pray
But for all of his spit-shinin' ways
Lord, he could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh
I had me a girl
Like cigarette smoke
She came and she went
I slipped through his hands
To my back door man
Under his chin
Oh that woman taught me to pray
But for all her wandering ways
She could
Oooooooo
Ooooooohhhhohhhh
Ooooooo
Ooooohhhhhhhhhh [Repeat]
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by TWalker
I Had Me a Girl Lyrics as written by Joy Williams
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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To me, this song is all about connecting with another individual not only in a passionate physical sense, but also on an intimately spiritual level.
One can infer the "she/ could ohhhh"'s to be a reference to the passionate physical encounters between the two, but what I find more interesting is the spiritual connection depicted by this song.
Not only do the two find some sort of connection to one another in their faith as intimated by the constant references to "Lord" and "prayer," but they also unite through their shortcomings as they relate to faith. To me this thought is most clearly expressed in the line "he washed me as clean as a sinner could be." It's as if there is an acknowledgement that despite the fact that both singers try to be pious, that the passion between the two of them is too much to resist. This song creates an interesting picture of religiosity, passion and the way in which the singers try to reconcile the two.
While I won't speculate what real-world implications this song may hold for the relationship between John Paul and Joy, I can say that it is a song full of raw passion which I have not heard the likes of before, and I would imagine would be incredibly difficult to counterfeit.
Amen.