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.
So here we are trapped in this jungle of hell
Death rains from the skies above
No one ever lives to tell
Mentality tells me
To kill in order to live
Mortality is lost across the battlefield
Oh god
Get down
It's almost over
Don't die
Stay alive
Get down
It's almost over
Don't cry
Stay alive
I stare in the eyes of madness
With the man sitting next to me
Don't know if he's dead or alive
Ghosts always come in hordes to me
Get down
It's almost over
Don't die
Stay alive
Get down
It's almost over
Don't cry
Stay alive
Hold
Men all lost to nothing
Shell shock
Minds did break for war
For what
Get down
It's almost over
Don't die
Stay alive
Get down
It's almost over
Don't cry
Stay alive
Get down
It's almost over
Don't die
Stay alive
Run
Run them down to the killling fields
Hold fast and let them rush
Glory comes from all the blood we spill
Black led lays deep inside
Another brothers head
Red rum for the industry
My country sentenced me to death
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Faint yells of family's gone
We've had enough of this
My suffering is bound by law
When the time comes can you please end me
We've had enough of sin
Gore rots everything I touch and breed
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Where the hell am I
Who the fuck are you
Who the fuck are you
Why cant I breathe
Why cant I breathe
Just let me die
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
China white for my addict needs
I'm never going home
His breath was the last of all our needs
God hates us all too much
That's why he left me last
I finally get to see the sun
Death rains from the skies above
No one ever lives to tell
Mentality tells me
To kill in order to live
Mortality is lost across the battlefield
Oh god
Get down
It's almost over
Don't die
Stay alive
Get down
It's almost over
Don't cry
Stay alive
I stare in the eyes of madness
With the man sitting next to me
Don't know if he's dead or alive
Ghosts always come in hordes to me
Get down
It's almost over
Don't die
Stay alive
Get down
It's almost over
Don't cry
Stay alive
Hold
Men all lost to nothing
Shell shock
Minds did break for war
For what
Get down
It's almost over
Don't die
Stay alive
Get down
It's almost over
Don't cry
Stay alive
Get down
It's almost over
Don't die
Stay alive
Run
Run them down to the killling fields
Hold fast and let them rush
Glory comes from all the blood we spill
Black led lays deep inside
Another brothers head
Red rum for the industry
My country sentenced me to death
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Faint yells of family's gone
We've had enough of this
My suffering is bound by law
When the time comes can you please end me
We've had enough of sin
Gore rots everything I touch and breed
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Where the hell am I
Who the fuck are you
Who the fuck are you
Why cant I breathe
Why cant I breathe
Just let me die
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
Spray them as they lay
A torso and a leg
A child set a blaze
War is hell
China white for my addict needs
I'm never going home
His breath was the last of all our needs
God hates us all too much
That's why he left me last
I finally get to see the sun
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