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.
A fork is a cold shiny tool
To pierce, tear and ingest
Whoever has the fork in hand
Controls the meal of its choice
We're told the first few punctures
They're for our own good
Better carved up in pieces
Than blown up in the oven
Agh! Agh! Agh!
Forkboy
Flies by night on stolen fuel
To Santa Rosa, CA
Opens a fake employment office
"Want a job? Go get me drugs"
People desperate for work
Return to quite a surprise
Busted for intent to sell
Cops pay him a bounty
Forkboy skips town
Agh! Agh! Agh! Agh!
We came
We peed
We conquered
You bleed
The choice:
Fork Boy
Or Finger Food
Ugly joy
What does it replace?
Why wait
When you can eat yourself alive today
Junk bondage takeover glutton
Ready to bore in
Unfold his rotary blades inside
Pull the guts out and resell them
Buys out his next target
With the last one's pension funds
Thousands more thrown out of work
So Leona won't have to settle for a mint
Forkboy
Picked by the FBI
To be the black pied piper
After Dr. King died
Watches soap operas on TV
While 6 billion's disappears from HUD
Who are you working for
What did you hope to gain
Why do you hate your past
So much you destroy the ones you love
Forkboy!
To pierce, tear and ingest
Whoever has the fork in hand
Controls the meal of its choice
We're told the first few punctures
They're for our own good
Better carved up in pieces
Than blown up in the oven
Agh! Agh! Agh!
Forkboy
Flies by night on stolen fuel
To Santa Rosa, CA
Opens a fake employment office
"Want a job? Go get me drugs"
People desperate for work
Return to quite a surprise
Busted for intent to sell
Cops pay him a bounty
Forkboy skips town
Agh! Agh! Agh! Agh!
We came
We peed
We conquered
You bleed
The choice:
Fork Boy
Or Finger Food
Ugly joy
What does it replace?
Why wait
When you can eat yourself alive today
Junk bondage takeover glutton
Ready to bore in
Unfold his rotary blades inside
Pull the guts out and resell them
Buys out his next target
With the last one's pension funds
Thousands more thrown out of work
So Leona won't have to settle for a mint
Forkboy
Picked by the FBI
To be the black pied piper
After Dr. King died
Watches soap operas on TV
While 6 billion's disappears from HUD
Who are you working for
What did you hope to gain
Why do you hate your past
So much you destroy the ones you love
Forkboy!
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I don't understand this song... help....
Forkboy appears to be someone that preys on his fellow man. Doing things like dealing drugs through a fake employment agency, and selling junk bonds.
They are just commenting on how some people are willing to do anything to other people so they can make money.
in my opinion anyway.
"We're told the first few punctures They're for our own good Better carved up in pieces Than blown up in the oven "
this part might be a metaphor for saying that getting ripped off once or twice in your life can be a good thing if it makes you smart enough to avoid getting ripped off big time later.