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.
O.P.P., how can I explain it
I'll take you frame by frame it
To have y'all jumpin' shall we singin' it
O is for "Other", P is for "People" scratchin' temple
The last P, well, that's not that simple
It's sorta like another way to call a cat a kitten
It's five little letters that are missin' here
You get on occasion at the other party
As a game 'n it seems I gotta start to explainin'
Bust it
You ever had a girl and met her on a nice hello
You get her name and number and then you feelin' real mellow
You get home, wait a day, she's what you want to know about
Then you call up and it's her girlfriend or her cousin's house
It's not a front, F to the are to the O to the N to the T
It's just her boyfriend's at her house (boy, that's what is scary)
It's OPP, time other people's what you get it
There's no room for relationship there's just room to hit it
How many brothers out there know just what I'm gettin' at
Who thinks it's wrong 'cause I'm splittin' and co-hittin' at
Well if you do, that's O.P.P. and you're not down with it
But if you don't, here's your membership
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (every last homie)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (all the homies)
As for the ladies, O.P.P. means something gifted
The first two letters are the same but the last is something
Different
It's the longest, loveliest, lean, I call it the leanest
It's another five letter word rhymin' with cleanest and meanest
I won't get into that, I'll do it, sorta properly
I say the last P stands for property
Now lady here comes a kiss, blow a kiss back to me, now tell me
Exactly
Have you ever known a brother who have another like ah girl or wife
And you just had to stop and just 'cause he look just as nice
You looked at him, he looked at you and you knew right away
That he had someone but he was gonna be yours anyway
You couldn't be seen with him and honestly you didn't care
'Cause in a room behind a door no one but y'all are there
When y'all are finish, y'all can leave and only y'all would know
And then y'all could throw the skeleton bones right in the closet do'
Now don't be shocked 'cause if you're down I want your hands up high
Say O.P.P. (OPP) I like to say with pride
Now when you do it, do it well and make sure that it counts
You're now down with a discount
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (every last homie)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (all the homies)
A scab tried to O.P.P. me
I had a girl and she knew that matter of fact her and my girl was partner's that
Had a fall out, disagreement, yeah an argument
She tried to do me so we did it in my apartment, bust it
That wasn't the thing it must have been the way she hit the ceiling
'Cause after that she kept on coming back and catchin' feelings
I said, "Let's go my girl is coming so you gotta leave"
She said, "Oh no, I love you Treach" I said, "Now child please"
You gots to leave, come grab your coat, right now you gotta go
I said now look you to the stairs and to the stair window
This was a thing, a little thing, you shouldn't have put your heart
'Cause you know I was OPP, hell from the very start
Come on, come on, now let me tell you what it's all about
When you get down, you can't go 'round runnin' off at the mouth
That's rule number one in this O.P.P. establishment
You keep your mouth shut and it won't get back to her or him
Exciting isn't it, a special kinda business
Many of you will catch the same sorta O.P.P. is you with
Him or her for sure is going to admit it
When O.P.P. comes, damn, skippy I'm with it
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (every last homie)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (all the homies)
Break it down
I'll take you frame by frame it
To have y'all jumpin' shall we singin' it
O is for "Other", P is for "People" scratchin' temple
The last P, well, that's not that simple
It's sorta like another way to call a cat a kitten
It's five little letters that are missin' here
You get on occasion at the other party
As a game 'n it seems I gotta start to explainin'
Bust it
You ever had a girl and met her on a nice hello
You get her name and number and then you feelin' real mellow
You get home, wait a day, she's what you want to know about
Then you call up and it's her girlfriend or her cousin's house
It's not a front, F to the are to the O to the N to the T
It's just her boyfriend's at her house (boy, that's what is scary)
It's OPP, time other people's what you get it
There's no room for relationship there's just room to hit it
How many brothers out there know just what I'm gettin' at
Who thinks it's wrong 'cause I'm splittin' and co-hittin' at
Well if you do, that's O.P.P. and you're not down with it
But if you don't, here's your membership
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (every last homie)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (all the homies)
As for the ladies, O.P.P. means something gifted
The first two letters are the same but the last is something
Different
It's the longest, loveliest, lean, I call it the leanest
It's another five letter word rhymin' with cleanest and meanest
I won't get into that, I'll do it, sorta properly
I say the last P stands for property
Now lady here comes a kiss, blow a kiss back to me, now tell me
Exactly
Have you ever known a brother who have another like ah girl or wife
And you just had to stop and just 'cause he look just as nice
You looked at him, he looked at you and you knew right away
That he had someone but he was gonna be yours anyway
You couldn't be seen with him and honestly you didn't care
'Cause in a room behind a door no one but y'all are there
When y'all are finish, y'all can leave and only y'all would know
And then y'all could throw the skeleton bones right in the closet do'
Now don't be shocked 'cause if you're down I want your hands up high
Say O.P.P. (OPP) I like to say with pride
Now when you do it, do it well and make sure that it counts
You're now down with a discount
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (every last homie)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (all the homies)
A scab tried to O.P.P. me
I had a girl and she knew that matter of fact her and my girl was partner's that
Had a fall out, disagreement, yeah an argument
She tried to do me so we did it in my apartment, bust it
That wasn't the thing it must have been the way she hit the ceiling
'Cause after that she kept on coming back and catchin' feelings
I said, "Let's go my girl is coming so you gotta leave"
She said, "Oh no, I love you Treach" I said, "Now child please"
You gots to leave, come grab your coat, right now you gotta go
I said now look you to the stairs and to the stair window
This was a thing, a little thing, you shouldn't have put your heart
'Cause you know I was OPP, hell from the very start
Come on, come on, now let me tell you what it's all about
When you get down, you can't go 'round runnin' off at the mouth
That's rule number one in this O.P.P. establishment
You keep your mouth shut and it won't get back to her or him
Exciting isn't it, a special kinda business
Many of you will catch the same sorta O.P.P. is you with
Him or her for sure is going to admit it
When O.P.P. comes, damn, skippy I'm with it
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (every last homie)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
You down with O.P.P. (yeah, you know me)
Who's down with O.P.P. (all the homies)
Break it down
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