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.
April 29th, 1992
There was a riot on the streets
Tell me where were you?
You were sittin' home watchin' your TV
While I was participating in some anarchy
First spot we hit it was my liquor store
I finally got all that alcohol I can't afford
With red lights flashin' time to retire
And then we turned that liquor store into a structure fire
Next stop we hit it was the music shop
It only took one brick to make that window drop
Finally we got our own P.A.
Where do you think I got this guitar that you're hearing today?
Because as long as I'm alive, I'ma live illegal
When we returned to the pad to unload everything
It dawned on me that I need new home furnishings
So once again we filled the van until it was full
Since that day my livin' room's been more comfortable
'Cause everybody in the hood has had it up to here
It's getting harder and harder and harder each and every year
I go in the store where their mother and kids
And I saw her when she came out she was gettin' some pampers
They said it was for the black man
They said it was for the mexican, but not for the white man
But if you look at the streets, it wasn't about Rodney King
It's bout this fucked up situation and these fucked up police
It's about coming up and staying on top
And screamin' 187 on a mother fuckin' cop
It's ain't in the paper, it's on the wall
So national guard, smoke from all around!
Homicide, never doing no time
Give me my share, my share
Gimme my share, I want it
Gimme my share, I need it now, I need it now
My share, a wicked one who doesn't wanna see me go
Just gimme my share, I want it, gimme my share
But you don't want to give it to me
You don't wanna see me go
Gimme my share, I want it, gimme my share
But there is a wicked one
There was a riot on the streets
Tell me where were you?
You were sittin' home watchin' your TV
While I was participating in some anarchy
First spot we hit it was my liquor store
I finally got all that alcohol I can't afford
With red lights flashin' time to retire
And then we turned that liquor store into a structure fire
Next stop we hit it was the music shop
It only took one brick to make that window drop
Finally we got our own P.A.
Where do you think I got this guitar that you're hearing today?
Because as long as I'm alive, I'ma live illegal
When we returned to the pad to unload everything
It dawned on me that I need new home furnishings
So once again we filled the van until it was full
Since that day my livin' room's been more comfortable
'Cause everybody in the hood has had it up to here
It's getting harder and harder and harder each and every year
I go in the store where their mother and kids
And I saw her when she came out she was gettin' some pampers
They said it was for the black man
They said it was for the mexican, but not for the white man
But if you look at the streets, it wasn't about Rodney King
It's bout this fucked up situation and these fucked up police
It's about coming up and staying on top
And screamin' 187 on a mother fuckin' cop
It's ain't in the paper, it's on the wall
So national guard, smoke from all around!
Homicide, never doing no time
Give me my share, my share
Gimme my share, I want it
Gimme my share, I need it now, I need it now
My share, a wicked one who doesn't wanna see me go
Just gimme my share, I want it, gimme my share
But you don't want to give it to me
You don't wanna see me go
Gimme my share, I want it, gimme my share
But there is a wicked one
Lyrics submitted by The Big Andowski
April 29, 1992 (Leary) Lyrics as written by Bradley Nowell Marshall Goodman
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
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at the beginning it says "April 26th, 1992" not April 29th
@Sizzle yes when they were recording the song brad messed up and said April 26th instead of April 29th but they thought it sounded good (and it does) so they kept it. although it is fixed in the leary version of the song.