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.
All this distance really hurts
Conversion scale just does not work
Metric tons, two minus one
Bottle caps in a pocket change tray
The weight is constant and heavy
Centimeters, inches, feet - they just can't compete
With all the while and all the miles
Twenty three thirty two Fulton St.
It's the haps you had a plane to catch
The wait is pulling teeth and steady
The wait is anything but easy
Perhaps the stories always end with me
Bottle caps in a pocket change tray
I think I get it, I think I understand
The way we planned, it didn't make sense
But then again, I'm probably wrong for you my dear
See her in the magazine
How's everything on her scene
Read her in the Interview
It wasn't half bad she said
It's late now I'm in bed and tired
Not quite drunk enough, forced to think for a while
Of why I never wrote or called
Or why I never did anything at all
Lie here in my bed alone
Try and block out the drone
Of that salad dressing month we had
She was right, it wasn't half bad
And somehow it just might make sense
I think I get it, I think I understand
Still I wonder I'll
I wonder
What if
What might have been
Conversion scale just does not work
Metric tons, two minus one
Bottle caps in a pocket change tray
The weight is constant and heavy
Centimeters, inches, feet - they just can't compete
With all the while and all the miles
Twenty three thirty two Fulton St.
It's the haps you had a plane to catch
The wait is pulling teeth and steady
The wait is anything but easy
Perhaps the stories always end with me
Bottle caps in a pocket change tray
I think I get it, I think I understand
The way we planned, it didn't make sense
But then again, I'm probably wrong for you my dear
See her in the magazine
How's everything on her scene
Read her in the Interview
It wasn't half bad she said
It's late now I'm in bed and tired
Not quite drunk enough, forced to think for a while
Of why I never wrote or called
Or why I never did anything at all
Lie here in my bed alone
Try and block out the drone
Of that salad dressing month we had
She was right, it wasn't half bad
And somehow it just might make sense
I think I get it, I think I understand
Still I wonder I'll
I wonder
What if
What might have been
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