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.
Fingerprint file, you get me down
You keep me running
Know my way around
Yes, you do, child
Fingerprint file, you bring me down
Keep me running
You keep me on the ground
Know my moves
Way ahead of time
Listening to me
On your satellite
Feeling followed
Feeling tagged
Crossing water
Trying to wipe my tracks
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
You better watch out
On your telephone
Wrong number
They know you ain't home
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
Who's the man on the corner, that corner over there
I don't know
Well, you better lay low watch out
Keep on the look out
Electric eyes
Rats on the sell out
Who gonna testify
You know my habits
Way a head of time
Listening to me
On your satellite
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
It gets me down
Hello, baby, mm-hmm
Ah, yeah, you know we ain't, we ain't talkin' alone
Who's listening? Well I don't really know
But you better tell the SIS to keep out of sight
'Cause I know they takin' pictures on the ultraviolet light
Yes, uh huh, yeah, but these days it's all secrecy; no privacy
Shoot first, that's right you know
Bye bye
Right now somebody is listening to you
Keeping their eyes peeled on you
Mmm, mmm, what a price, what a price to pay
All right, good night, sleep tight
You keep me running
Know my way around
Yes, you do, child
Fingerprint file, you bring me down
Keep me running
You keep me on the ground
Know my moves
Way ahead of time
Listening to me
On your satellite
Feeling followed
Feeling tagged
Crossing water
Trying to wipe my tracks
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
You better watch out
On your telephone
Wrong number
They know you ain't home
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
Who's the man on the corner, that corner over there
I don't know
Well, you better lay low watch out
Keep on the look out
Electric eyes
Rats on the sell out
Who gonna testify
You know my habits
Way a head of time
Listening to me
On your satellite
And there's some little jerk in the FBI
A keepin' papers on me six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down
It gets me down
Hello, baby, mm-hmm
Ah, yeah, you know we ain't, we ain't talkin' alone
Who's listening? Well I don't really know
But you better tell the SIS to keep out of sight
'Cause I know they takin' pictures on the ultraviolet light
Yes, uh huh, yeah, but these days it's all secrecy; no privacy
Shoot first, that's right you know
Bye bye
Right now somebody is listening to you
Keeping their eyes peeled on you
Mmm, mmm, what a price, what a price to pay
All right, good night, sleep tight
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Fingerprint File Lyrics as written by Michael Jagger Keith Richards
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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this is a sweet song. i dont know for sure, but i believe it is partly about indignance to modern technology or the FBI or something. btw, some of those lyrics r wrong.
this is a fucking genious song. its so cool towards the ending and then he just cracks his throat and the album ends! so awesome! great tune. great band. great style. fuck!
When this was recorded you could read it as somebody being a bit paranoid.Turned out to be prescient because these days some little jerk in the FBI probably has files on us all. "What a price to pay"- damn right!
I think this song might be about John Lennon. The FBI had a big file on him in an attempt to have him deported (which failed).