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.
Don't damn me when I speak a piece of my mind
'Cause silence isn't golden
When I'm holding it inside
'Cause I've been where I have been
An I've seen what I have seen
I put the pen to the paper
'Cause it's all a part of me
Be it a song or a casual conversation
To hold my tongue speaks of quiet reservations
Your words once heard they can place you in a faction
My words may disturb but at least there's a reaction
Sometimes I want to kill
Sometimes I want to die
Sometimes I want to destroy
Sometimes I want to cry
Sometimes I could get even
Sometimes I could give up
Sometimes I could give
Sometimes I never give a fuck
It's only for a while
I hope you understand
I never wanted this to happen
Didn't want to be a man
So I hid inside my world
I took what I could find
I cried when I was lonely
I fell down when I was blind
Don't damn me when I speak a piece of my mind
'Cause silence isn't golden
When I'm holding it inside
'Cause I've been where I have been
An I've seen what I have seen
I put the pen to the paper
'Cause it's all a part of me
How can I ever satisfy you
An how can I ever make you see
That, deep inside we're all somebody
An it don't matter who you want to be
But now I gotta smile I hope you comprehend
For this man can say it happened
'Cause this child has been condemned
So I stepped into your world
I kicked you in the mind
And I'm the only witness
To the nature of my crime
But look at what we've done
To the innocent and young
Whoa listen to who's talking
'Cause we're not the only ones
The trash collected by the eyes
And dumped into the brain
Said it tears into our conscious thoughts
You tell me who's to blame
I know you don't want to hear me crying
An I know you don't want to hear me deny
That your satisfaction lies in your illusions
But your delusions are yours an not mine
We take for granted that we know the whole story
We judge a book by it's cover and read what we want
Between selected lines
Don't hail me an don't idolize the ink
Or I've failed in my attentions
Can you find the missing link
Your only validation is in living your own life
Vicarious existence is a fucking waste of time
So I send this song to the offended
I said what I meant and I've never pretended
As so many others do intending just to please
If I damned your point of view
Could you turn the other cheek
Don't damn me when I speak a piece a mind
'Cause silence isn't golden
When I'm holding it inside
I've been where I have been
An I've seen what I have seen
Put the pen to the paper 'Cause it's all a part of me
Don't damn me
I said don't damn me
I said don't hail me
Ah, don't damn me
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
Alright, that sucked
'Cause silence isn't golden
When I'm holding it inside
'Cause I've been where I have been
An I've seen what I have seen
I put the pen to the paper
'Cause it's all a part of me
Be it a song or a casual conversation
To hold my tongue speaks of quiet reservations
Your words once heard they can place you in a faction
My words may disturb but at least there's a reaction
Sometimes I want to kill
Sometimes I want to die
Sometimes I want to destroy
Sometimes I want to cry
Sometimes I could get even
Sometimes I could give up
Sometimes I could give
Sometimes I never give a fuck
It's only for a while
I hope you understand
I never wanted this to happen
Didn't want to be a man
So I hid inside my world
I took what I could find
I cried when I was lonely
I fell down when I was blind
Don't damn me when I speak a piece of my mind
'Cause silence isn't golden
When I'm holding it inside
'Cause I've been where I have been
An I've seen what I have seen
I put the pen to the paper
'Cause it's all a part of me
How can I ever satisfy you
An how can I ever make you see
That, deep inside we're all somebody
An it don't matter who you want to be
But now I gotta smile I hope you comprehend
For this man can say it happened
'Cause this child has been condemned
So I stepped into your world
I kicked you in the mind
And I'm the only witness
To the nature of my crime
But look at what we've done
To the innocent and young
Whoa listen to who's talking
'Cause we're not the only ones
The trash collected by the eyes
And dumped into the brain
Said it tears into our conscious thoughts
You tell me who's to blame
I know you don't want to hear me crying
An I know you don't want to hear me deny
That your satisfaction lies in your illusions
But your delusions are yours an not mine
We take for granted that we know the whole story
We judge a book by it's cover and read what we want
Between selected lines
Don't hail me an don't idolize the ink
Or I've failed in my attentions
Can you find the missing link
Your only validation is in living your own life
Vicarious existence is a fucking waste of time
So I send this song to the offended
I said what I meant and I've never pretended
As so many others do intending just to please
If I damned your point of view
Could you turn the other cheek
Don't damn me when I speak a piece a mind
'Cause silence isn't golden
When I'm holding it inside
I've been where I have been
An I've seen what I have seen
Put the pen to the paper 'Cause it's all a part of me
Don't damn me
I said don't damn me
I said don't hail me
Ah, don't damn me
Smoke 'em if you got 'em
Alright, that sucked
Lyrics submitted by mike, edited by FennMaster
Don't Damn Me Lyrics as written by Izzy Stradlin W. Axl Rose
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great song. I love it, it just...shows you that people need to be more considerate of other people, and we could do without critizizing people becuase of beliefs.