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, I was, I was shaken down in a toy town
He, He's out there
You know it's Kennedy's shadow from White Cross to Michigan
ATM's, are in the air, oh yeah machines they are spinning out everywhere
The speaker is speaking
Can you hear the sound
The listener is listening as he hits the ground
The medium or the message but there's no one around
I couldn't believe
I couldn't believe the stars of Warburton were waiting for me
We were dancing, we were dancing on the plain
We're looking through the window didn't see any buffalo there
We got our pipe dreams, they went up in smoke dreams
Burn it clean in the climate control, of your hypermark malls
Don't want to talk about Elvis Presley
Don't want to see his white shoes walking around
And around and around over here
The press baron's acting up the mainframes are down
Newspapers crawling around on the ground
The medium or the message still there's no one around
I couldn't believe
I couldn't believe the stars of Warburton were waiting for me
Over the hills and mountains we go, so far, so far away
For the ring of the axe on the ironbark, for the smell of the wallaby stew
From the golden reefs to the sandstone cliffs
Came the sheep of the Mallee plain
The wind blew the soil to the Orient, we'll be shouting to the skies again
I couldn't believe
I couldn't believe the stars of Warburton were waiting for me
I couldn't believe
I couldn't believe the stars of Warburton were living in me
Raining down on me, were washing down on me
(Moginie/Garrett)
He, He's out there
You know it's Kennedy's shadow from White Cross to Michigan
ATM's, are in the air, oh yeah machines they are spinning out everywhere
The speaker is speaking
Can you hear the sound
The listener is listening as he hits the ground
The medium or the message but there's no one around
I couldn't believe
I couldn't believe the stars of Warburton were waiting for me
We were dancing, we were dancing on the plain
We're looking through the window didn't see any buffalo there
We got our pipe dreams, they went up in smoke dreams
Burn it clean in the climate control, of your hypermark malls
Don't want to talk about Elvis Presley
Don't want to see his white shoes walking around
And around and around over here
The press baron's acting up the mainframes are down
Newspapers crawling around on the ground
The medium or the message still there's no one around
I couldn't believe
I couldn't believe the stars of Warburton were waiting for me
Over the hills and mountains we go, so far, so far away
For the ring of the axe on the ironbark, for the smell of the wallaby stew
From the golden reefs to the sandstone cliffs
Came the sheep of the Mallee plain
The wind blew the soil to the Orient, we'll be shouting to the skies again
I couldn't believe
I couldn't believe the stars of Warburton were waiting for me
I couldn't believe
I couldn't believe the stars of Warburton were living in me
Raining down on me, were washing down on me
(Moginie/Garrett)
Lyrics submitted by Chris_Gough
Stars of Warburton Lyrics as written by Martin Rotsey James Moginie
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i wonder if they're talking about U2 Rattle and Hum when they say "and we don't want to talk about Elvis Presley". i think i read somewhere way back then that they were.... and i wonder what the significance of them saying that is.
maybe they were travelling across America like U2 was in their movie... maybe it was a tour.
@C_Edward_C <br /> Much of the song is about anti American ideals.<br /> No buffalo out on the plains of Australia- don't want any<br /> Don't want to see his white shoes walking around over here is a slam not against Elvis but against the self righteous American <br /> burn it clean is referring to nuke power (clean burn) to power all the malls in the US<br />
@C_Edward_C <br /> <br /> They were dancing on the plain, and didn't see any buffalo.. probably because it was US policy in the 1800's to kill all the buffalo in order to starve the indigenous people in the plains.. if indeed this is a song about traveling across the US.. then that is what makes sense. they can't see any buffalo in the 1980's if they're all still gone.. buffalo were not reintroduced until the 2000's<br /> <br /> not wanting to deal with elvis.. my guess is that's a reference to U2 trying to americanize themselves on joshua tree, and oils saying they aren't going there. <br /> <br /> i have not been able to find anything definitive, but my best guess about this song is it's about traveling through the US and can't wait to get back to their country.. rather than romanticizing the US. i don't know what "in a toy town" means. that would probably confirm that. there are a few US towns called "Toy". One is near boise and one near Casper.. not sure really what it's all about but I've always loved Garret's lyrics. The man reads, he talsk to people and he doesn't bullshit or romanticize. <br /> <br />
Which Warburton are they singing about? There are at least two. The one in Queensland and the one in Western Australia. Both are equally out there!
@kohohoutek the WA one
The lyrics relate to the Warburton Controversy. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/… There is mention of the "press baron acting up". This must refer to Rupert Murdoch who did his own flawed investigation into living conditions for the indigenous people there.