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.
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Yo, niggas can not see me, can not be me or
Capture the metaphoric phrase blasted off stage when I tour
I am but a messenger born to blow up
My niggas knew it all the time, lyrically I was a dime
At the age of nine, shorty Black, could rhyme
On the mic I never wasted time, I'm the exquisite wizard
When I visit shorties I hit it, I'm cool as a blizzard (me too, me too)
Nigga what? You want, I'll bust your fronts, with the butt of my
Black, paper chase ya and then erase ya rhyme
Sucker, MC's how I hate the way you waste your time
My state of mind, shine like it's diamond studded
I rhyme budded on stage, word is bond, when I'm on, I rage
Got the 12 gauge at the rest so play, and into rest you lay
My everyday M.O. is gettin' dough cause times is rougher
Than a mother for brothers to scuffle shuffle your cards, kid
'Cause the odds is, niggas'll hustle and live, foul
This wild environment hostile produce the music in me
So my style's the blend of what is and was
You could get a buzz from it, but enter too deep
And reach a summit you fall and then plummet beyond real
Where you're killed if your raps ain't ill
Another crab motherfucker 'nother cap to peel
Through these amps, I motivate camps to dance
Niggas too advanced, I warn, I'm just tellin you what goes on
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Inside my head, you wish to see
The signs appear, the shit's not clear
What if I flipped? Would you know how to maintain your edge?
I'm takin heads because, there's no fuckin' ledge
I pledge allegiance to my cosmic guide
I couldn't fit in three dimensions if I tried
Civilizations I can delete, so crews don't bother me
Battle with Jehovah gaining universal sovereignty
Niggas run around like clones, I got planets and thrones
Throughout the galaxy my name's well known (my name's well known)
I'm all alone in my zone, you wouldn't understand
Stare in my face, fuck around and catch a sun tan (Malik B.)
Here on this agenda, there is no pretenders
So when we begin to assassinate your cast members
They shall hinder, wavin' white flags, man we surrender
Those half-assed negroes know they're no contenders (yeah, yeah)
In syringes, I can shoot up lyric vengeance
And my grammar, might do a mandatory life in slammers
You should regret it, thinkin about steppin' to me
Niggas forget it, you'll get gassed with lyrics leaded
Most energetic, I never snag I'm tightly threaded
I flip scripts like pattern twistness in calisthenics
Black Thought, Elo and me a trio
Talent is strong, word is bond
I'm just tellin' you what goes on
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Check, check 'em out, what's up? (yo, what up, yo?)
Yo, word life, just gonna keep bringing it (keep, keep)
You know what I'm sayin'? just keep bringing it on and shit
Ayo, dig it
We gon' kick into some old other shit
This some more next shit
But it's like an oldie but goodie
With people who are truly down with The Roots
You know what I'm sayin'?
It's a little tune that with came up under our creative influence
You know what I'm sayin'?
We just gon' bust it out like this, you know what I'm saying?
We just gon' start in to it (hurry up!)
First, I gotta make sure everything is correct
Yo, ayo, what's up? Is everything cool over here?
Everything cool with all the instruments? All the amps are cool?
Everything chill? Everything chill?
With my man Hasan and Shabeeb, yo?
Ayo, bust it
I think this shit's cool, so I'ma go ahead and start this shit off (nigga break yourself, fool)
You know what I'm saying? (break yourself something nigga)
I'ma start it off and shit
Sound check or something, we didn't get a proper sound check
I think, alright we gon' take a five minute break, yeah
We just gonna take like a five minute break and do the sound check and shit
You know what I'm sayin'?
And then we can get the show back on the road
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Yo, niggas can not see me, can not be me or
Capture the metaphoric phrase blasted off stage when I tour
I am but a messenger born to blow up
My niggas knew it all the time, lyrically I was a dime
At the age of nine, shorty Black, could rhyme
On the mic I never wasted time, I'm the exquisite wizard
When I visit shorties I hit it, I'm cool as a blizzard (me too, me too)
Nigga what? You want, I'll bust your fronts, with the butt of my
Black, paper chase ya and then erase ya rhyme
Sucker, MC's how I hate the way you waste your time
My state of mind, shine like it's diamond studded
I rhyme budded on stage, word is bond, when I'm on, I rage
Got the 12 gauge at the rest so play, and into rest you lay
My everyday M.O. is gettin' dough cause times is rougher
Than a mother for brothers to scuffle shuffle your cards, kid
'Cause the odds is, niggas'll hustle and live, foul
This wild environment hostile produce the music in me
So my style's the blend of what is and was
You could get a buzz from it, but enter too deep
And reach a summit you fall and then plummet beyond real
Where you're killed if your raps ain't ill
Another crab motherfucker 'nother cap to peel
Through these amps, I motivate camps to dance
Niggas too advanced, I warn, I'm just tellin you what goes on
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Inside my head, you wish to see
The signs appear, the shit's not clear
What if I flipped? Would you know how to maintain your edge?
I'm takin heads because, there's no fuckin' ledge
I pledge allegiance to my cosmic guide
I couldn't fit in three dimensions if I tried
Civilizations I can delete, so crews don't bother me
Battle with Jehovah gaining universal sovereignty
Niggas run around like clones, I got planets and thrones
Throughout the galaxy my name's well known (my name's well known)
I'm all alone in my zone, you wouldn't understand
Stare in my face, fuck around and catch a sun tan (Malik B.)
Here on this agenda, there is no pretenders
So when we begin to assassinate your cast members
They shall hinder, wavin' white flags, man we surrender
Those half-assed negroes know they're no contenders (yeah, yeah)
In syringes, I can shoot up lyric vengeance
And my grammar, might do a mandatory life in slammers
You should regret it, thinkin about steppin' to me
Niggas forget it, you'll get gassed with lyrics leaded
Most energetic, I never snag I'm tightly threaded
I flip scripts like pattern twistness in calisthenics
Black Thought, Elo and me a trio
Talent is strong, word is bond
I'm just tellin' you what goes on
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Do you wanna know what goes on?
Do you wanna know what goes on? (tell me, baby)
Check, check 'em out, what's up? (yo, what up, yo?)
Yo, word life, just gonna keep bringing it (keep, keep)
You know what I'm sayin'? just keep bringing it on and shit
Ayo, dig it
We gon' kick into some old other shit
This some more next shit
But it's like an oldie but goodie
With people who are truly down with The Roots
You know what I'm sayin'?
It's a little tune that with came up under our creative influence
You know what I'm sayin'?
We just gon' bust it out like this, you know what I'm saying?
We just gon' start in to it (hurry up!)
First, I gotta make sure everything is correct
Yo, ayo, what's up? Is everything cool over here?
Everything cool with all the instruments? All the amps are cool?
Everything chill? Everything chill?
With my man Hasan and Shabeeb, yo?
Ayo, bust it
I think this shit's cool, so I'ma go ahead and start this shit off (nigga break yourself, fool)
You know what I'm saying? (break yourself something nigga)
I'ma start it off and shit
Sound check or something, we didn't get a proper sound check
I think, alright we gon' take a five minute break, yeah
We just gonna take like a five minute break and do the sound check and shit
You know what I'm sayin'?
And then we can get the show back on the road
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