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.
I worked the rigs from three 'til midnight
On the Corpus Christi Bay
I'd get off and drink 'til daylight
Sleep the mornin' away
I had a plan to take my wages
Leave the rigs behind for good
But that life it is contagious
And it gets down in your blood
I lived in Corpus with my brother
We were always on the run
We were bad for one another
But we were good at having fun
We got stoned along the seawall
We got drunk and rolled a car
We knew the girls at every dancehall
Had a tab at every bar
If I could live my life all over
It wouldn't matter anyway
'Cause I never could stay sober
On the Corpus Christi Bay
My brother had a wife and family
You know he gave 'em a good home
But his wife thought we were crazy
And one day we found her gone
We threw her clothes into the car trunk
Her photographs, her rosary
We went to the pier and got drunk
And through it all into the sea
If I could live my life all over
It wouldn't matter anyway
'Cause I never could stay sober
On the Corpus Christi Bay
Now my brother lives in Houston
He married for a second time
He got a good job with the union
And it's keeping him in live
He came to Corpus just this weekend
It was good to see him here
He said he finally gave up drinkin'
Then he ordered me a beer
If I could live my life all over
It wouldn't matter anyway
'Cause I never could stay sober
On the Corpus Christi Bay
If I could live my life all over
It wouldn't matter anyway
'Cause I never could stay sober
On the Corpus Christi Bay
On the Corpus Christi Bay
I'd get off and drink 'til daylight
Sleep the mornin' away
I had a plan to take my wages
Leave the rigs behind for good
But that life it is contagious
And it gets down in your blood
I lived in Corpus with my brother
We were always on the run
We were bad for one another
But we were good at having fun
We got stoned along the seawall
We got drunk and rolled a car
We knew the girls at every dancehall
Had a tab at every bar
If I could live my life all over
It wouldn't matter anyway
'Cause I never could stay sober
On the Corpus Christi Bay
My brother had a wife and family
You know he gave 'em a good home
But his wife thought we were crazy
And one day we found her gone
We threw her clothes into the car trunk
Her photographs, her rosary
We went to the pier and got drunk
And through it all into the sea
If I could live my life all over
It wouldn't matter anyway
'Cause I never could stay sober
On the Corpus Christi Bay
Now my brother lives in Houston
He married for a second time
He got a good job with the union
And it's keeping him in live
He came to Corpus just this weekend
It was good to see him here
He said he finally gave up drinkin'
Then he ordered me a beer
If I could live my life all over
It wouldn't matter anyway
'Cause I never could stay sober
On the Corpus Christi Bay
If I could live my life all over
It wouldn't matter anyway
'Cause I never could stay sober
On the Corpus Christi Bay
Lyrics submitted by ladyzelta
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