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 see faces and traces of home
Back in New York City
So you think I'm a tough kid?
Is that what you heard?
Yeah, well, I like to see some action
And it gets into my blood
The call me the trail blazer, Rael electric razor
I'm the pitcher in a chain gang, we don't believe in pain
'Cause we're only as strong, yes, we're only as strong
As the weakest link in the chain
Let me out of Pontiac when I was just seventeen
I had to get it out of me, if you know what I mean, what I mean
You say I must be crazy
'Cause I don't care who I hit, who I hit
But I know it's me that's hitting out
And I'm, I'm not full of shit
I don't care who I hurt, I don't care who I do wrong
This is your mess I'm stuck in, I really don't belong
When I take out my bottle, filled up high with gasoline
You can tell by the night fires where Rael has been, has been
As I cuddled the porcupine
He said I had none to blame, but me
Held my heart, deep in hair
Time to shave, shave it off, it off
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, oh
Off we go
Off we go
Off we go
Off we go
You're sitting in your comfort you don't believe I'm real
You cannot buy protection from the way that I feel
Your progressive hypocrites hand out their trash
But it was mine in the first place, so I'll burn it to ash
And I've tasted all the strongest meats
And laid them down in colored sheets
Laid them down in colored sheets
Who needs illusion
Of love and affection
When you're out walking in the streets
With your mainline connection? Connection
As I cuddled the porcupine
He said I had none to blame, but me
Held my heart, deep in hair
Time to shave, shave it off, it off
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no time
Back in New York City
So you think I'm a tough kid?
Is that what you heard?
Yeah, well, I like to see some action
And it gets into my blood
The call me the trail blazer, Rael electric razor
I'm the pitcher in a chain gang, we don't believe in pain
'Cause we're only as strong, yes, we're only as strong
As the weakest link in the chain
Let me out of Pontiac when I was just seventeen
I had to get it out of me, if you know what I mean, what I mean
You say I must be crazy
'Cause I don't care who I hit, who I hit
But I know it's me that's hitting out
And I'm, I'm not full of shit
I don't care who I hurt, I don't care who I do wrong
This is your mess I'm stuck in, I really don't belong
When I take out my bottle, filled up high with gasoline
You can tell by the night fires where Rael has been, has been
As I cuddled the porcupine
He said I had none to blame, but me
Held my heart, deep in hair
Time to shave, shave it off, it off
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, oh
Off we go
Off we go
Off we go
Off we go
You're sitting in your comfort you don't believe I'm real
You cannot buy protection from the way that I feel
Your progressive hypocrites hand out their trash
But it was mine in the first place, so I'll burn it to ash
And I've tasted all the strongest meats
And laid them down in colored sheets
Laid them down in colored sheets
Who needs illusion
Of love and affection
When you're out walking in the streets
With your mainline connection? Connection
As I cuddled the porcupine
He said I had none to blame, but me
Held my heart, deep in hair
Time to shave, shave it off, it off
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no
No time for romantic escape
When your fluffy heart is ready for rape, no time
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae, edited by Undinal
Back in N.Y.C. Lyrics as written by Phillip David Charles Collins Anthony George Banks
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song sends me into a fit of rage. A good rage. Peter belts this song out better than any metal head. I love this song,because it gives you an idea of who Rael is or was. Speaking of Rael, is it just me or do you sense that at the very last song of LLDB that Rael discover he's dead
From what I interpret Rael dies at the very beginning of the album. The entire story his his metaphysical journey through the realization of his wasted life. He dies around the start at the end of "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" and "Fly on a Windshield". At the end he makes the choice of saving his brother John instead of returning to his life on the streets thereby in actuality breaking his own cycle of purgatory and freeing himself in the act of saving John.
I think the "Rael dies in the first song" intepretation is probably the most accepted interpretation of this album. (Personally, I don't subscribe to that theory, but it's most likely true... if, of course, the album has any deeper meaning at all!)