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.
He was drifting through the badlands
She was living with a bad baddie
He was going for a Grammy
She was going for the leading lady
You were singing in the bath then
And you were butchering the orphan Annie
I came up with a good plan
To leave daddy in the badlands
So we could be
Two-lings in a freak show
And we could make it three with an alien in vitro
So when you jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You gotta run like a devil from a flock of angels
We were running from the laymen
We were trying to find a shaman
We were going for immortal
We were going through a portal
So we could be
Two-lings in a freak show
And we could make it three with an alien in vitro
So when you jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You gotta run like a devil from a flock of angels
Jump that fence
When you jump that fence
You better watch that your pant don't get snagged on it
When you break away
Break away
You gotta run like a lifer in a prison break
So when you jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You better run like a devil from the lord and savior
When you jump that fence
When you jump that fence
You better watch that your pant don't get snagged on it
When you break away
Break away
You gotta run like a lifer in a prison break
When you jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You gotta run like a devil from a flock of angels
Jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You gotta run like a devil from a flock of angels
She was living with a bad baddie
He was going for a Grammy
She was going for the leading lady
You were singing in the bath then
And you were butchering the orphan Annie
I came up with a good plan
To leave daddy in the badlands
So we could be
Two-lings in a freak show
And we could make it three with an alien in vitro
So when you jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You gotta run like a devil from a flock of angels
We were running from the laymen
We were trying to find a shaman
We were going for immortal
We were going through a portal
So we could be
Two-lings in a freak show
And we could make it three with an alien in vitro
So when you jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You gotta run like a devil from a flock of angels
Jump that fence
When you jump that fence
You better watch that your pant don't get snagged on it
When you break away
Break away
You gotta run like a lifer in a prison break
So when you jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You better run like a devil from the lord and savior
When you jump that fence
When you jump that fence
You better watch that your pant don't get snagged on it
When you break away
Break away
You gotta run like a lifer in a prison break
When you jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You gotta run like a devil from a flock of angels
Jump that fence
Jump that fence
You better run like the wind
Emancipated
When you break your chains
Break your chains
You gotta run like a devil from a flock of angels
Lyrics submitted by MusiclyJunked, edited by Reapermane
Jump the Fence Lyrics as written by Ryan Lee Guldemond
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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The first verse leads me to believe this could be about a woman who leaves a controlling, abusive husband/boyfriend (she was living with a bad baddie), and escapes (I came up with a good plan to leave Daddy in the badlands to live with her lover ("we could be (not sure what is sung tbh, lol, I always sang it as "tourings in a freak show") whom she has loved all along, and might even want to carry their child (we could make it three with an alien in vitro (nod at fertilization of eggs) ). However, leaving an abusive relationship is really difficult, because when you make that partner angry, there's no telling what they'll do to you, so she needs to "jump that fence" and "run like the wind" in order to escape to a new, better life (emancipated when you break your chains). Sometimes the partners try and entice you by apologizing for being shitty and guilt you into giving them a second chance, and her lover warns her to watch out and don't get her pant "snagged on it" because she needs to leave him.