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.
Extreme ways are back again
Extreme places I didn't know
I broke everything new again
Everything that I'd owned
I threw it out the windows, came along
Extreme ways I know move apart The colors of my sea
Perfect color me
Extreme ways that help me
That help me out late at night
Extreme places I had gone
But never seen any light
Dirty basements, dirty noise
Dirty places coming through
Extreme worlds alone
Did you ever like it then
I would stand in line for this
There's always room in life for this
Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
Extreme songs that told me
They helped me down every night
I didn't have much to say
I didn't get above the light
I closed my eyes and closed myself
And closed my world and never opened
Up to anything
That could get me along
I had to close down everything
I had to close down my mind
Too many things to cover me
Too much can make me blind
I've seen so much in so many places
So many heartaches, so many faces
So many dirty things
You couldn't even believe
I would stand in line for this
It's always good in life for this
Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
All day, all day
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
(Falling apart)
It's a Monday morning, it's everywhere
Oh no I can't
All day, all day
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
All day, all day
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
All day, all day
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
All day, all day
Like it always does, always does
Extreme places I didn't know
I broke everything new again
Everything that I'd owned
I threw it out the windows, came along
Extreme ways I know move apart The colors of my sea
Perfect color me
Extreme ways that help me
That help me out late at night
Extreme places I had gone
But never seen any light
Dirty basements, dirty noise
Dirty places coming through
Extreme worlds alone
Did you ever like it then
I would stand in line for this
There's always room in life for this
Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
Extreme songs that told me
They helped me down every night
I didn't have much to say
I didn't get above the light
I closed my eyes and closed myself
And closed my world and never opened
Up to anything
That could get me along
I had to close down everything
I had to close down my mind
Too many things to cover me
Too much can make me blind
I've seen so much in so many places
So many heartaches, so many faces
So many dirty things
You couldn't even believe
I would stand in line for this
It's always good in life for this
Oh baby, oh baby
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
All day, all day
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
(Falling apart)
It's a Monday morning, it's everywhere
Oh no I can't
All day, all day
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
All day, all day
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
All day, all day
Then it fell apart, it fell apart
All day, all day
Like it always does, always does
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My Interpretation.... First part of the song is about him partying it up. Then his party days "fell apart" because shit was getting too real. The next part is about him taking a break from the chaos, extremities, "crazy shit" that the real world provides. He states that if he stays in isolation for too long, he could go crazy. Eventually this life style "fell apart" and he repeats the cycle.
"I would stand in line for this" to me, he is stating that life is a roller coaster. I think he's being literal but he could be figurative. The point of a good song is that people can relate with different perspectives.
"oh baby, oh baby" could mean that he is talking to a women he loves that he has a certain relationship with in this song