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.
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin' home again
Their ideas made me want to spit
A hundred dollars goes down the pit
Thirty thousand wheels are rollin'
And my stick shift hands are swollen
Everything involved is shady
The big three killed my baby
Yeah yeah yeah
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin' home again
Why don't you take the day off and try to repair
A billion others don't seem to care
Better ideas are stuck in the mud
The motors runnin' on tuckers blood
Don't let em tell you the futures electric
Cause gasoline's no measured in metric
Thirty thousand wheels are spinnin'
And oil company faces are grinnin'
Now my hands are turnin' red
And I found out my baby is dead
Yeah yeah yeah
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin' home again
Well I've said it now
Nothing's changed
People are burnin' for pocket change
And creative minds are lazy
The big three killed your baby
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin' home again
And my baby's my common sense
So don't feed me planned obsolescence
Yeah my baby's my common sense
So don't feed me planned obsolescence
I'm about to have another blowout
I'm about to have another blowout
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin' home again
Their ideas made me want to spit
A hundred dollars goes down the pit
Thirty thousand wheels are rollin'
And my stick shift hands are swollen
Everything involved is shady
The big three killed my baby
Yeah yeah yeah
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin' home again
Why don't you take the day off and try to repair
A billion others don't seem to care
Better ideas are stuck in the mud
The motors runnin' on tuckers blood
Don't let em tell you the futures electric
Cause gasoline's no measured in metric
Thirty thousand wheels are spinnin'
And oil company faces are grinnin'
Now my hands are turnin' red
And I found out my baby is dead
Yeah yeah yeah
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin' home again
Well I've said it now
Nothing's changed
People are burnin' for pocket change
And creative minds are lazy
The big three killed your baby
The big three killed my baby
No money in my hand again
The big three killed my baby
Nobody's comin' home again
And my baby's my common sense
So don't feed me planned obsolescence
Yeah my baby's my common sense
So don't feed me planned obsolescence
I'm about to have another blowout
I'm about to have another blowout
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Page
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I know that on the White Stripes DVD "Under Blackpool Lights" Jack says something like this in the middle of this song: "And General Motors did it...and I know Chrysler did it...and I'm (not) sure Ford did it...and you know that all did it..." Its hard to hear exactly what he says, his voice is kinda raspy like that...but he does say the Big Three motor companies!!