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.
Presto, read the Communist Manifesto
Guerillas in the Mist, a Guevara named Ernesto, so
(E-Roc: What a brother with a afro know?)
Yo, go and flow for the mack and be the hoe
So grow cause the lynchin brothers might get hung
Better rip through em from the tip of my mouth/Mao, say/Tse-Tung/tongue
Deficit (money spent) catch the glint
(E-Roc: of my nine as they cut welfare twenty-five percent)
And I dissent, as I clench and raise my fist
(We did away with, that) so you could get with this
Here's a twist cause we'll overthrow like Kwame N'Krumah
Spread around the wealth as if it were a, vicious rumor
Pam, cuts a record like a surgeon cuts a tumor from a brain
(E-Roc: We're all cooped up so feel the pain)
From four hundred years of exploitation
Anesthesia provided by your local TV station
Patience is not a virtue (I ain't waitin)
Turn this shit over like Bush did a boatload of Haitians
*DJ Pam cuts and scratches "Dig It!"*
How now Brown Cow I'm down with the Mau Mau
Clown downtown tried to put us in the dog pound
Like H. Rap Brown with the situation
(Won't get no callouses) cause I'm spittin dialectical analysis
So how is this, we never had no Funk
Until you found out that I turned to revolutionary hunk
(Chump!) Bump you over like dominoes, rat
(E-Roc: So free Geronimo Gi Jaga Pratt!)
Lyrics hear it fear it can't get near it
Got a sample didn't clear it
Point Blank says, "Fuck five-oh!" That's the spirit
Cheer it, spat out, the fat that I consumed
Knew that I was doomed since my date of birth
To be the wretched of the earth, never had a Dream that was American
(The golden ?leg to chair again?) Despair again
(But that ain't nuthin new) Told the streets were paved with gold
Whoever paved that shit got minimum wage too!
*DJ Pam cuts and scratches "Dig It!"*
"Do you understand, the metaphoric phrase?" (repeat 3X)
"Do you understand, do you understand..."
(E-Roc: Gunned us, stunned us) exploited and they hung us
I'd like to take a moment to say, "Fuck Columbus!"
(Millions off my back) the black on black crisis is a myth
The crack that did this to us (was the one from the whip)
The record skip, the record skip, the record ship *SCRATCH*
The record skips, cause my voice is kinda scratchy
From yelling, "Oh shit!" when five-oh comes to harass me
They never pass me, no one to go and tail bro
(E-Roc: Trying to kill the movement with the new CoIntelPro)
Leaders they killed, if I said it, it would threaten em
They only see my back because I'm three steps ahead of em
We're not fallin in the slot you slated
(E-Roc: We realize that our power's nickel-plated)
Masses move as well as asses do, class is through
Our time is over, past it's due
(And you still wanna know) the origin of the flow
OAKLAND CALIFORNIA NINE-FOUR-SIX-ONE-OH
*DJ Pam cuts "Dig It!"
(Yeah, The Coup, comin at you in ninety-three!)
Yeah, and we out y'all...
"Do you understand, the metaphoric phrase?" (repeat 3X)
"Do you understand, do you understand..."
Guerillas in the Mist, a Guevara named Ernesto, so
(E-Roc: What a brother with a afro know?)
Yo, go and flow for the mack and be the hoe
So grow cause the lynchin brothers might get hung
Better rip through em from the tip of my mouth/Mao, say/Tse-Tung/tongue
Deficit (money spent) catch the glint
(E-Roc: of my nine as they cut welfare twenty-five percent)
And I dissent, as I clench and raise my fist
(We did away with, that) so you could get with this
Here's a twist cause we'll overthrow like Kwame N'Krumah
Spread around the wealth as if it were a, vicious rumor
Pam, cuts a record like a surgeon cuts a tumor from a brain
(E-Roc: We're all cooped up so feel the pain)
From four hundred years of exploitation
Anesthesia provided by your local TV station
Patience is not a virtue (I ain't waitin)
Turn this shit over like Bush did a boatload of Haitians
*DJ Pam cuts and scratches "Dig It!"*
How now Brown Cow I'm down with the Mau Mau
Clown downtown tried to put us in the dog pound
Like H. Rap Brown with the situation
(Won't get no callouses) cause I'm spittin dialectical analysis
So how is this, we never had no Funk
Until you found out that I turned to revolutionary hunk
(Chump!) Bump you over like dominoes, rat
(E-Roc: So free Geronimo Gi Jaga Pratt!)
Lyrics hear it fear it can't get near it
Got a sample didn't clear it
Point Blank says, "Fuck five-oh!" That's the spirit
Cheer it, spat out, the fat that I consumed
Knew that I was doomed since my date of birth
To be the wretched of the earth, never had a Dream that was American
(The golden ?leg to chair again?) Despair again
(But that ain't nuthin new) Told the streets were paved with gold
Whoever paved that shit got minimum wage too!
*DJ Pam cuts and scratches "Dig It!"*
"Do you understand, the metaphoric phrase?" (repeat 3X)
"Do you understand, do you understand..."
(E-Roc: Gunned us, stunned us) exploited and they hung us
I'd like to take a moment to say, "Fuck Columbus!"
(Millions off my back) the black on black crisis is a myth
The crack that did this to us (was the one from the whip)
The record skip, the record skip, the record ship *SCRATCH*
The record skips, cause my voice is kinda scratchy
From yelling, "Oh shit!" when five-oh comes to harass me
They never pass me, no one to go and tail bro
(E-Roc: Trying to kill the movement with the new CoIntelPro)
Leaders they killed, if I said it, it would threaten em
They only see my back because I'm three steps ahead of em
We're not fallin in the slot you slated
(E-Roc: We realize that our power's nickel-plated)
Masses move as well as asses do, class is through
Our time is over, past it's due
(And you still wanna know) the origin of the flow
OAKLAND CALIFORNIA NINE-FOUR-SIX-ONE-OH
*DJ Pam cuts "Dig It!"
(Yeah, The Coup, comin at you in ninety-three!)
Yeah, and we out y'all...
"Do you understand, the metaphoric phrase?" (repeat 3X)
"Do you understand, do you understand..."
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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