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.
It's a dead world...
And it's about that time to clear things here!
One generation follows another...
But something in my head says:
Keep going! Don't give up!
Cold sweat - Running down my back!
I don't fear the chaos!
A reason to fight is not making a stronger man
Cause they don't understand!
I won't calm down! I won't calm down!
What am I supposed to do?
It's hard to realize that the time is running out!
Pow! We're on the move! Resist worldwide!
Cause it takes two...
Your money is full of blood and I know this for sure
We're gonna take over!
Radical! Terrorize! And I'm not gonna tell you lies!
Our chances are low Too many problems we got!
Fuck the police! Blow them out!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
(Move! We gotta move! Move! We gotta move!)
Move! I shout it out loud!
We're radical and we're proud of it!
Change the things
Together we stand and load the gun and make 'em swing!
Love is a wonderful thing!
A secret, A game And I sing the song of freedom to hate!
Try to think international!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
(Move! We gotta move! Move! We gotta move!)
Destroy 2000 years
Your freedom to speak is a freedom to lie
Whatever it takes to change, I'm up for it!
There's no place where no one gets hurt...
A place where I can be on my own!
You should feel guilty if you're just watching!
There's this pain and a constant sound in my head...
They always try and get you back to what they define as reality!
There's nothing to lose but watch your back!
It's cold out here... (Don't wait too long!)
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
(Move! We gotta move! Move! We gotta move!)
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
And it's about that time to clear things here!
One generation follows another...
But something in my head says:
Keep going! Don't give up!
Cold sweat - Running down my back!
I don't fear the chaos!
A reason to fight is not making a stronger man
Cause they don't understand!
I won't calm down! I won't calm down!
What am I supposed to do?
It's hard to realize that the time is running out!
Pow! We're on the move! Resist worldwide!
Cause it takes two...
Your money is full of blood and I know this for sure
We're gonna take over!
Radical! Terrorize! And I'm not gonna tell you lies!
Our chances are low Too many problems we got!
Fuck the police! Blow them out!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
(Move! We gotta move! Move! We gotta move!)
Move! I shout it out loud!
We're radical and we're proud of it!
Change the things
Together we stand and load the gun and make 'em swing!
Love is a wonderful thing!
A secret, A game And I sing the song of freedom to hate!
Try to think international!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
(Move! We gotta move! Move! We gotta move!)
Destroy 2000 years
Your freedom to speak is a freedom to lie
Whatever it takes to change, I'm up for it!
There's no place where no one gets hurt...
A place where I can be on my own!
You should feel guilty if you're just watching!
There's this pain and a constant sound in my head...
They always try and get you back to what they define as reality!
There's nothing to lose but watch your back!
It's cold out here... (Don't wait too long!)
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy! Destroy!
(Move! We gotta move! Move! We gotta move!)
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
Destroy 2000 years of culture!
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More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
ATR is either you hate them or love them. I am one that loves them, basically because I like their radical ideas and how they put it into such a hard-hitting-straight-to-your-mind-without-bullshit type of music. Over the last couple months I've been on a big anti-western culture kick as well, mostly following groups such as Adbusters (adbusters.org). This song is like an anthem for that, destroying the 2000 years of culture that has perverted and degraded our right to live as human beings. Live life, not excess and spectacle.