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.
Good morning, it's 3AM in this great roaring city
Full of garbage eaters ravaging parking spots
Beneath my plaza window I see cheetah in their
Tight skins and tired heels all-night hippo in the diner
Crossing the street swarthy heards of young Impala
Flambastic gibbon even a struggling monza
And over there that brilliant head ornament on that
Japanese macaque but look closely at the hammerhead
Hand in hand with the mandrill, it's a sight you're
Unlikely to see anywhere else on the planet
The stench and noise, yes, yes
The howler's Resonating repertoire is not too bad when mixed with
The more musical twern of the tropical warbler
But the impatient taxi blare, the squawking elderly ibis and
The glass-eye snapper hawking papers I can certainly live without
Also be cautious of the poisonous boomslang laughter
Social droppings of the fruit bat and purple queen fish
And who's that babbler conversing with a magazine stand?
Evidently he's getting a good reply
Arrive in neurotica
Through neon heat disease
I swear at the swarming heards
I sweat the foul terrain
I rove the moving scenery
Arrive in neurotica
Through neon heat disease
I swear at the swarming heards
I sweat the foul terrain
I rove the moving scenery
I have no fin
No wing, no stinger
No claw, no camouflage
I have no more to say
Say, isn't that an elephant fish on the corner over there
Look at that blush baby mud puppy noolbenger
Rhinoderma, marmoset, spring peeper, shingleback skink
Siren, skate, starling, sun-gazer, spoonbill and suckers
They seem to be everywhere, well it's a live revue
Random animal parts now playing nightly right here in neurotica
So long
Full of garbage eaters ravaging parking spots
Beneath my plaza window I see cheetah in their
Tight skins and tired heels all-night hippo in the diner
Crossing the street swarthy heards of young Impala
Flambastic gibbon even a struggling monza
And over there that brilliant head ornament on that
Japanese macaque but look closely at the hammerhead
Hand in hand with the mandrill, it's a sight you're
Unlikely to see anywhere else on the planet
The stench and noise, yes, yes
The howler's Resonating repertoire is not too bad when mixed with
The more musical twern of the tropical warbler
But the impatient taxi blare, the squawking elderly ibis and
The glass-eye snapper hawking papers I can certainly live without
Also be cautious of the poisonous boomslang laughter
Social droppings of the fruit bat and purple queen fish
And who's that babbler conversing with a magazine stand?
Evidently he's getting a good reply
Arrive in neurotica
Through neon heat disease
I swear at the swarming heards
I sweat the foul terrain
I rove the moving scenery
Arrive in neurotica
Through neon heat disease
I swear at the swarming heards
I sweat the foul terrain
I rove the moving scenery
I have no fin
No wing, no stinger
No claw, no camouflage
I have no more to say
Say, isn't that an elephant fish on the corner over there
Look at that blush baby mud puppy noolbenger
Rhinoderma, marmoset, spring peeper, shingleback skink
Siren, skate, starling, sun-gazer, spoonbill and suckers
They seem to be everywhere, well it's a live revue
Random animal parts now playing nightly right here in neurotica
So long
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Oh my god these lyrics are so great! I think its someone talking about the madness in a city and referring it to a jungle. I love all the adjectives in this song!