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.
.:: Ballad of San Francisco ::.
So I’m walking down the street somewhere outside of San Francisco
And I don’t really know my way around
I’d love to stay a day or two and get into some trouble
But tomorrow I’ll be in another town
There's at least one coffee bar for every single couple
And there's at least a couple in this place
Strange the things you notice when the walls are closing in
And the walls are closing in on me today
So where oh where can I find someone, anyone
‘Cause there’s no way out of here
But here is where I live and so I guess that means
The carrot’s gonna dangle for at least another year
I love anonymity and I love being noticed
Just the same as anybody else
Years ago I told you how I loved to be alone
These days I'd be perjuring myself
So where oh where can I find someone, anyone
‘Cause there’s no way out of here
But here is where I live and so I guess that means
The carrot’s gonna dangle for at least another year
It’s like you gave me up just like I gave up drinking coffee
So I guess I would’ve done the same
So now I know I’m lost somewhere outside of San Francisco
But I’m still glad that I came
So I’m walking down the street somewhere outside of San Francisco
And I don’t really know my way around
I’d love to stay a day or two and get into some trouble
But tomorrow I’ll be in another town
There's at least one coffee bar for every single couple
And there's at least a couple in this place
Strange the things you notice when the walls are closing in
And the walls are closing in on me today
So where oh where can I find someone, anyone
‘Cause there’s no way out of here
But here is where I live and so I guess that means
The carrot’s gonna dangle for at least another year
I love anonymity and I love being noticed
Just the same as anybody else
Years ago I told you how I loved to be alone
These days I'd be perjuring myself
So where oh where can I find someone, anyone
‘Cause there’s no way out of here
But here is where I live and so I guess that means
The carrot’s gonna dangle for at least another year
It’s like you gave me up just like I gave up drinking coffee
So I guess I would’ve done the same
So now I know I’m lost somewhere outside of San Francisco
But I’m still glad that I came
Lyrics submitted by jarsonic
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Great version of a great song,
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this could be a song about a person (talking to God or maybe the person they're missing) that's feeling lonely in a strange town , but i think that there's a bit of a deeper motive to the writing of this song. throughout it, they're playing on the irony of human emotions and how fickle we are in our wants when all along God has the best in mind for us. many of the lyrics contradict one another; "don't really know my way around... tomorrow i'll be in another town" /"Here is where I live... for at least another year";"I love anonymity"/"I love being noticed ";"Years ago I told you how I loved to be alone (but) These days I'd be perjuring myself " does anyone else agree?