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 no good praying to the powers that be
'cause they won't shake the roots of the money tree
No good praying to the pristine alters
Waiting for the blessing with holy water
They like the same old wealth in the same old hands
Means the same old people stay old people stay in command
Watch your money-go-round; watch your money-go-round
They got it wrapped up tight, they got it safe and sound
Watch your money-go-round; watch your money-go-round
As you fall from grace and hit the ground
Too much money in too few places
Only puts a smile on particular faces
Said too much power in not enough hands
Makes me think "get rich quick; take all I can"
They're too busy spending on the means of destruction
To ever spend a penny on some real construction
Watch the money-go-round; watch the money-go-round
They amuse themselves as they fool around
Watch your money-go-round; watch your money-go-round
Do like they say, make them vulnerable
No good looking to the empire corners,
"civilization" built on slaughter
Carrying hopes and carrying maps
The spineless ones fall in their laps
The brave and the bold are the ones to be fooled
With a diet of lies by the Kipling school
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
But I just can't help being cynical
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
Do like I say, make me wonderful
Their morals are clean and their clear
They bend your arm and they bend your ear
Said they bend your mind as you talk in circles
Bend over forwards, this won't hurt you
Till there's blood in your lap, blood on your hands
Watch the money-go-round, watch the money-go-round
Come spend a penny, go out with a pound
Watch the money-go-round, watch the money-go-round
As you fall from grace and hit the ground
(on the money-go-round, you wanna get on but it won't slow down)
The need your votes and you know where to send 'em
Be we don't get the choice of a public referendum
On all the real issues that affect our lives
Like the usa base to which we play midwife
Take a cruise and forget this scene
Said come back later when the slates wiped clean
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
Born of woman, killed by man
Watch the money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
Do like they pray, make it wonderful
The good and righteous sing their hymns
The crimpoline dresses who have no sins
Christians by day, killers in war
The hypocrites who know what they're fighting for
Killing for peace, freedom and truth
But they're too old to go so they send the youth
Watch the money-go-round, watch the money-go-round
I don't think he was an astronaut
Watch the money-go-round, watch the money-go-round
I must insist, he was a socialist!
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
They got it wrapped up tight, they got it safe and sound
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
As you fall from grace and hit the ground
'cause they won't shake the roots of the money tree
No good praying to the pristine alters
Waiting for the blessing with holy water
They like the same old wealth in the same old hands
Means the same old people stay old people stay in command
Watch your money-go-round; watch your money-go-round
They got it wrapped up tight, they got it safe and sound
Watch your money-go-round; watch your money-go-round
As you fall from grace and hit the ground
Too much money in too few places
Only puts a smile on particular faces
Said too much power in not enough hands
Makes me think "get rich quick; take all I can"
They're too busy spending on the means of destruction
To ever spend a penny on some real construction
Watch the money-go-round; watch the money-go-round
They amuse themselves as they fool around
Watch your money-go-round; watch your money-go-round
Do like they say, make them vulnerable
No good looking to the empire corners,
"civilization" built on slaughter
Carrying hopes and carrying maps
The spineless ones fall in their laps
The brave and the bold are the ones to be fooled
With a diet of lies by the Kipling school
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
But I just can't help being cynical
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
Do like I say, make me wonderful
Their morals are clean and their clear
They bend your arm and they bend your ear
Said they bend your mind as you talk in circles
Bend over forwards, this won't hurt you
Till there's blood in your lap, blood on your hands
Watch the money-go-round, watch the money-go-round
Come spend a penny, go out with a pound
Watch the money-go-round, watch the money-go-round
As you fall from grace and hit the ground
(on the money-go-round, you wanna get on but it won't slow down)
The need your votes and you know where to send 'em
Be we don't get the choice of a public referendum
On all the real issues that affect our lives
Like the usa base to which we play midwife
Take a cruise and forget this scene
Said come back later when the slates wiped clean
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
Born of woman, killed by man
Watch the money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
Do like they pray, make it wonderful
The good and righteous sing their hymns
The crimpoline dresses who have no sins
Christians by day, killers in war
The hypocrites who know what they're fighting for
Killing for peace, freedom and truth
But they're too old to go so they send the youth
Watch the money-go-round, watch the money-go-round
I don't think he was an astronaut
Watch the money-go-round, watch the money-go-round
I must insist, he was a socialist!
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
They got it wrapped up tight, they got it safe and sound
Watch your money-go-round, watch your money-go-round
As you fall from grace and hit the ground
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
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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Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mental Istid
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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