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.
I never kicked a dog, a child or my wife
I never looked at pornography
I swear it on my holy saint mother's life
But somehow she's down here with me
The road to hell is littered with nice guys with good intentions
But once you're there, you're there, it's much too late
I can cry and scream it's just not fair
To leave me here like you don't care
There must be some mistake up there in heaven
Now it's much too late
My time has passed away
All my plans and dreams have all ended
Now it's much too late
To try and plead my case
And I don't know the God I've offended
It's too late
I never stole a thing, a toy or a kiss
My conscience is a clear as can be
And when I was a teen, all the sex that I missed
Was an abstinence blessing to me
The road to hell is littered with nice guys with good intentions
But once you're there, you're there, it's much too late
I can cry and scream it's just not fair
To leave me here like you don't care
There must be some mistake up there in heaven
Now it's much too late
My time has passed away
All my plans and dreams have all ended
Now it's much too late
To try and plead my case
And I don't know the God I've offended
It's too late
Now it's much too late
My time has passed away
All my plans and dreams have all ended
Now it's much too late
To try and plead my case
And I don't know the God I've offended
It's too late
It's much too late
My time has passed away
All my plans and dreams have all ended
Now it's much too late
To try and plead my case
And I don't know the God I've offended
It's too late
It's much to late
I never looked at pornography
I swear it on my holy saint mother's life
But somehow she's down here with me
The road to hell is littered with nice guys with good intentions
But once you're there, you're there, it's much too late
I can cry and scream it's just not fair
To leave me here like you don't care
There must be some mistake up there in heaven
Now it's much too late
My time has passed away
All my plans and dreams have all ended
Now it's much too late
To try and plead my case
And I don't know the God I've offended
It's too late
I never stole a thing, a toy or a kiss
My conscience is a clear as can be
And when I was a teen, all the sex that I missed
Was an abstinence blessing to me
The road to hell is littered with nice guys with good intentions
But once you're there, you're there, it's much too late
I can cry and scream it's just not fair
To leave me here like you don't care
There must be some mistake up there in heaven
Now it's much too late
My time has passed away
All my plans and dreams have all ended
Now it's much too late
To try and plead my case
And I don't know the God I've offended
It's too late
Now it's much too late
My time has passed away
All my plans and dreams have all ended
Now it's much too late
To try and plead my case
And I don't know the God I've offended
It's too late
It's much too late
My time has passed away
All my plans and dreams have all ended
Now it's much too late
To try and plead my case
And I don't know the God I've offended
It's too late
It's much to late
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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Alice Cooper is a Christian. Without a thorough understanding of Christian theology you cannot make sense of any song on Brutal Planet or Dragontown.
The song has an obvious point: good works do not merit one salvation.
This means, you can be a good guy in the yes of this world, but if you do not have faith in Jesus Christ, then you are not reconciled with God. Being that even a good person is ultimately flawed, it's bad to rely upon one's own merits to attain salvation, as the protagonist in this song.
No mistake was made in heaven. He is in Hell, where he belongs, just as all of us do. Jesus Christ pays the penalty for us and atones for our sins so that we may not be damned...this is Cooper's obvious point.