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'm just a lockedd out brother
Com'n straight from S.D.
Just another islander, beaner, wop, minority
Taught to love one another, all races
All types of colors, different skin, different faces
Can you answer my question, when I ask you who is right?
Racists come in all forms of colors black of white
So take that when I say your hatred sucks!
Coming from the H-I-T man, so what's up?
If you ain't down with my white brother we ain't down with you
And if you ain't down with my clack brother then we ain't down with you
Punk, punk talking that trash
White trash, black trash, you get a back to back slap
You think I'm soft, the you don't know me
Cause no I don't play that and we're definitely not your homie
He'll take your pride for a long ride, try and hide
You hate my outside, how bout my inside
It's just me and my boys and we'll hit 'em up
Yeah, come on ya'll, get 'em up
One for peace, two for love and three for my G-O-D
Yeah, come on ya'll, get 'em up
Get your hands up
One for peace, two for love and three for my G-O-D
Now that's dread to you head for my final conclusion
Straight up acts 10 holmes it's Peter's vision
So get up Peter, kill and eat
Surely not Lord this meat is unclean
For my Lord makes nothing unclean
Creatures of the world, all beasts and human beings
Black or white, who is right?
Peace and love through my Lord Jesus Christ!
Then Peter began to speak, I now realize how God does not show
Favoritism but accepts man from every nation
Who fear Him and do what is right
Black or white, who is right?
Com'n straight from S.D.
Just another islander, beaner, wop, minority
Taught to love one another, all races
All types of colors, different skin, different faces
Can you answer my question, when I ask you who is right?
Racists come in all forms of colors black of white
So take that when I say your hatred sucks!
Coming from the H-I-T man, so what's up?
If you ain't down with my white brother we ain't down with you
And if you ain't down with my clack brother then we ain't down with you
Punk, punk talking that trash
White trash, black trash, you get a back to back slap
You think I'm soft, the you don't know me
Cause no I don't play that and we're definitely not your homie
He'll take your pride for a long ride, try and hide
You hate my outside, how bout my inside
It's just me and my boys and we'll hit 'em up
Yeah, come on ya'll, get 'em up
One for peace, two for love and three for my G-O-D
Yeah, come on ya'll, get 'em up
Get your hands up
One for peace, two for love and three for my G-O-D
Now that's dread to you head for my final conclusion
Straight up acts 10 holmes it's Peter's vision
So get up Peter, kill and eat
Surely not Lord this meat is unclean
For my Lord makes nothing unclean
Creatures of the world, all beasts and human beings
Black or white, who is right?
Peace and love through my Lord Jesus Christ!
Then Peter began to speak, I now realize how God does not show
Favoritism but accepts man from every nation
Who fear Him and do what is right
Black or white, who is right?
Lyrics submitted by HoldURBreath
Who Is Right? Lyrics as written by Mark Traa Daniels Marcos Curiel
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
DELETE