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.
"Everything must change"
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
I knew this cat named Darrell, he didn't have a dollar
He was Harvard material, Ivy League scholar
Had a Ph.D., had an M.B.A.
But now he's waiting tables cause their's rent to pay
Companies downsizing, inflation's rising
Can't find a job, he's feeling kind of stressed
Doesn't even feel the effects when he says
Forgot to count how many times he been blessed
So he falls off track, starts smoking the crack
And once it hits his brain, starts a chain react
Sells the shirt off his back, shoes off his feet
He's losing all his teeth, now he's out in the street
And all of sudden he's like, Jesse James
Trying to stick up kids for their watches and chains
But he's from business school, and he's nervous with the tool
So he ends up on his back in a bloody pool
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
I knew this chick named Sally, she had a nice strut
Knew what I wanted, she was up in the cut
Swinging that butt, like race you out here
Only rapped the benz, and rocked the fly gear
Brand name wearing, champagne waving
Jewels around the neck, live style she's craving
Ain't no saving, she's doing enough spending
If you do the lending, she'll do the bending
Straight machine vending, it's money for take
Shopping sprees get her on her knees
And if you hit her with keys of your crib, you acting funny
Come home one day, find her counting out your money
From the Wetlands, all the way to the Apollo
If you're broke she'll spit, and if you're rich she might swallow
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
I knew these two homeboys, who made a lot of noise
Making money on the block, kids was on they jock
They was tougher than leather like Reverend Run
DMC, they was toting guns
And holdin' weight, goin' out of state
Stackin' mad chips, and pushin' phat whips
Fly jewels and golds, and got no job
And then one did some kid, and one got robbed
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
I knew this cat named Darrell, he didn't have a dollar
He was Harvard material, Ivy League scholar
Had a Ph.D., had an M.B.A.
But now he's waiting tables cause their's rent to pay
Companies downsizing, inflation's rising
Can't find a job, he's feeling kind of stressed
Doesn't even feel the effects when he says
Forgot to count how many times he been blessed
So he falls off track, starts smoking the crack
And once it hits his brain, starts a chain react
Sells the shirt off his back, shoes off his feet
He's losing all his teeth, now he's out in the street
And all of sudden he's like, Jesse James
Trying to stick up kids for their watches and chains
But he's from business school, and he's nervous with the tool
So he ends up on his back in a bloody pool
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
I knew this chick named Sally, she had a nice strut
Knew what I wanted, she was up in the cut
Swinging that butt, like race you out here
Only rapped the benz, and rocked the fly gear
Brand name wearing, champagne waving
Jewels around the neck, live style she's craving
Ain't no saving, she's doing enough spending
If you do the lending, she'll do the bending
Straight machine vending, it's money for take
Shopping sprees get her on her knees
And if you hit her with keys of your crib, you acting funny
Come home one day, find her counting out your money
From the Wetlands, all the way to the Apollo
If you're broke she'll spit, and if you're rich she might swallow
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
I knew these two homeboys, who made a lot of noise
Making money on the block, kids was on they jock
They was tougher than leather like Reverend Run
DMC, they was toting guns
And holdin' weight, goin' out of state
Stackin' mad chips, and pushin' phat whips
Fly jewels and golds, and got no job
And then one did some kid, and one got robbed
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
Ends, some people will rob their mother
For the ends, rats snitch on one another
For the ends, sometimes kids get murdered
For the ends, so before we go any further
I want my ends
Lyrics submitted by robbieg123, edited by elkarlos814
Ends Lyrics as written by Kevin Gilliam Lawrence Smith
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
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Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
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Anyway, I didn't intend to come to this page to rant. lol. I just HAD to post my last post, after seeing so many oblivious people thiniking "it means drugs".
My main intention when I came to this song's page was that I thought I might be able to add a little clarification, and explain a line, that perhaps many people wouldn't get the reference to. My favorite line in the whole tune, too. lol
"From the Wetlands all the way to the Apollo If you broke she's spittin' If you're rich she might swallow"
Anyway, for anyone who isn't familiar with New York City (where I'm born and raised and lived all my life), I thought that maybe there would be people out there who wouldn't get that very clever NYC reference. The Apollo, I'm sure everyone knows, since it had the famous show "Showtime at the Apollo". It is a very famous theater for musicians and comedians, here in NYC. It's in Harlem, which is WAY uptown in the north part of Manhattan, on 125th street. The Wetlands is also a famous music club in NYC, which sadly closed a few years ago. The Wetlands was on Hudson Street, WAY downtown in the south part of Manhattan.
The link below explains a little about The Wetlands... nyrock.com/worldbeat/07_2001/073001b.asp
So basiclly, he's using the two clubs to say that she sells her goods ALL over Manhattan. Everywhere. She really gets around. You can't really get any other two famous clubs that are any farther away from each other, to use as points of reference. It would be like saying "from New York all the way to Los Angeles", to mean "all over the country".
Anyway, I hope that helped, if there are any non-NYCers out there who love this tune but always wondered "What's that line mean? What is/are the Wetlands, and what do they have to do with the Apollo?".
:)