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.
Oh hair of dread, the time is here
Thirty-three, the sheep draw near
with eyes so keen they cannot hear
all the lies that buy their ears
Oh, horsepants, tobacco chest
Oh, sex ghost oh, nape of neck
The tears are crashing on her breasts
The burning bed is out again
If it's sad, you know it's true
God is glad, on bluer moons
When your room is all you do
it comes to you
Oh, my rank ink instrument
row my boat towards abstinence
with thoughts as long as cigarettes
Snowed in lips and cross protect
Oh, that birdlike appetite
Do, passive fasts make us contrite
On silken highways of the night
the spiders crawl my candlelight
where the sun shines in space
God is dumb, God is great
But does he love us all the same
Are we OK
And I cried out your name
because I loved the sound it made
and because I couldn't wait, to see your face
And nothing ever was the same
And the stars say, "Look into my eyes."
But I can't change if it's only in my mind
And I love you but I don't have the right
And I wanted you so bad tonight
Thirty-three, the sheep draw near
with eyes so keen they cannot hear
all the lies that buy their ears
Oh, horsepants, tobacco chest
Oh, sex ghost oh, nape of neck
The tears are crashing on her breasts
The burning bed is out again
If it's sad, you know it's true
God is glad, on bluer moons
When your room is all you do
it comes to you
Oh, my rank ink instrument
row my boat towards abstinence
with thoughts as long as cigarettes
Snowed in lips and cross protect
Oh, that birdlike appetite
Do, passive fasts make us contrite
On silken highways of the night
the spiders crawl my candlelight
where the sun shines in space
God is dumb, God is great
But does he love us all the same
Are we OK
And I cried out your name
because I loved the sound it made
and because I couldn't wait, to see your face
And nothing ever was the same
And the stars say, "Look into my eyes."
But I can't change if it's only in my mind
And I love you but I don't have the right
And I wanted you so bad tonight
Lyrics submitted by jawbrokenrhymes
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i love this song!
Correct Version
O HAIR OF DREAD THE TIME IS HERE / 33 THE SHEEP DRAW NEAR/ WITH EYES SOO KEEN THEY CANNOT HEAR/ ALL THE LIES THAT BUY THEIR EARS
O HORSEPANTS TOBACCO CHEST / O SEX GHOST O NAPE OF NECK / THE TEARS ARE CRASHING ON HER BREAST / THE BURNING BED IS OUT AGAIN
IF IT'S SAD, YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE / GOD IS GLAD ON BLUER MOONS / WHEN YOUR ROOM IS ALL YOU DO / IT COMES TO YOU
O MY RANK INK INSTRUMENT / ROW MY BOAT TOWARDS ABSTINENCE / WITH THOUGHTS AS LONG AS CIGARETTES / SNOWED IN LIPS AND CROSS PROTECT
O THAT BIRD-LIKE APETITE/ DO PASSIVE FAST MAKE US CONTRITE? / ON SILKEN HIGHWAYS OF THE NIGHT / THE SPIDERS CRAWL MY CANDLELIGHT
WHERE THE SUN SHINES IN SPACE / GOD IS DUMB, GOD IS GREAT / BUT DOES HE LOVE US ALL THE SAME / ARE WE OKAY?
AND I CRIED OUT YOUR NAME / BECAUSE I LOVED THE SOUND IT MADE / AND BECAUSE I COULDN'T WAIT / TO SEE YOUR FACE / AND NOTHING EVER WAS THE SAME
AND THE STARS SAY LOOK INTO MY EYES / BUT I CAN'T CHANGE IF IT'S ONLY IN MY MIND / AND I LOVE YOU BUT I DON'T HAVE THEH RIGHT / AND I WANTED YOU SOO BAD TONIGHT
blake is such a genious
I can't believe there aren't more comments on this song! It's incredible.
I love the last two verses, particularly the lines "and i cried out your name because i love the sound it made" because they seem to me like not being able to be close to someone, but making them more real or more present to them by just saying their name. Also, loving everything there is about someone.
Anyone else think that the first few bars of this song sound exactly like the beginning of 'don't look back in anger' by oasis? just me..?
This is such a great song. For some reason, it reminds me of my ex. Blake writes some crazy lyrics, some of my favorites. It's all so sad, though..."If it's sad, you know it's true." That's such a depressing line to me. Does anybody know what he's been doing since JTB?
This is such a great song. For some reason, it reminds me of my ex. Blake writes some crazy lyrics, some of my favorites. It's all so sad, though..."If it's sad, you know it's true." That's such a depressing line to me. Does anybody know what he's been doing since JTB?
i really like this song, but..
horsepants?!? tobacco chest? rank ink? do passive fasts make us contrite?
huh?
oh, and, uh...
hair of dread? cross protect?
haha yeah I feel ya. great song though
I don't understand this song. I love the vibe, for sure. But I don't understand what Blake is trying to tell us.
Oh horse pants tobacco chest? Could he be wearing skinny jeans and a shirt with a breast pocket with a pack of smokes or a can of chaw in the breast pocket?