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.
Bands with managers are going places
Bands with messy hair and smooth white faces
You don't believe when I say
It won't be alright
Vans with fifteen passengers are rolling over
But I trust t. william walsh
And I'm not afraid to die
Bands with messy hair and smooth white faces
You don't believe when I say
It won't be alright
Vans with fifteen passengers are rolling over
But I trust t. william walsh
And I'm not afraid to die
Lyrics submitted by sarahsavedlatin
Bands With Managers Lyrics as written by David Shannon Bazan
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"We were in North Dakota and I was listening to my friend and booking agent tell a story about one of the bands that he had worked with. They had just fired him. It was on a trail of other firings that they had done at the same time, including one of the band’s supposedly friends and supporters. It just struck me as really funny how unscrupulous people could be when someone is whispering in their ear, “You’re gonna be huge.” Out of that, the first lyric for the song came out and I just jotted it down, and later on it developed a little further. There’s this thing that I do when we’re touring. When your turn at the wheel is over and it’s somebody else’s turn you usually get dibs on the sleeping spot in the back. It’s really hard to sleep when someone else is driving though because you’re scared for your life. Especially late at night. You hear them hit the rumble strip and you can’t sleep. At one point I needed to sleep really bad and I was trying to figure out a way to calm my mind down and I developed a mantra that I use when I can't sleep because I’m preoccupied with the driver. I’ll just say, “I trust Tim Walsh (or whoever it is), and I’m not afraid to die.” Usually if I say that a couple times I’m able to relax my mind and go to sleep. " -David Bazan interview on cloakanddaggermedia.com
When he did this song live in Washington last year he played part of "June 18, 1976" towards the end after he said "and I'm not afraid to die" he sang "speeding toward the ground, through the air..." and then went back, it was kinda cool...
This song is beautiful, but I don't think it should have been chosen to be the first track on the CD. It seems almost too slow-paced. It's still an amazing song though.
thanks etcetera..that was awesome..
ya I think its all about how bands with managers get all about the money and fame and think they are gonna be huge..but less famous bands will "be alright"