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.
A late April day and it's sunny outside
And a red little girl's at the top of a slide
And an orange old man at the bottom
Wants to take her for a ride
As she slips and she tumbles the orange man mumbles
Pennies crash down from the sky
And he tells her, he'll take her away where it's safe
And of course it is a lie
She's a third the down and her skirts are yanked up
And her little girl cheeks start to wrinkle
But her smile is wide and her legs are spread wider
Her hair growing long and her hips getting larger
Past getting brighter
Light growing weaker
She is halfway down now but the man is impatient
Shakes change in his pocket he might have to wait
But she's coming
She's coming
She's coming
Who are you blaming?
They're just playing
That's a good one, who left the playground
A good decade before the bell rang?
As she starts to draw nearer the view becomes clearer
The splinters are painful but she doesn't feel it
The pennies were loaded and as they exploded
She starts to spin out of control
Her eyes are now closing her sleeves are unrolling
Up past her head and her veins are all showing
Not that she noticed, she's thoroughly focused on
One old man who's laughing
Who's laughing
Who's laughing
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
The orange man got you
A late April day and it's sunny outside
And a red little girl's at the top of the slide
And an orange old man at the bottom
Wants to take her for a ride
And a red little girl's at the top of a slide
And an orange old man at the bottom
Wants to take her for a ride
As she slips and she tumbles the orange man mumbles
Pennies crash down from the sky
And he tells her, he'll take her away where it's safe
And of course it is a lie
She's a third the down and her skirts are yanked up
And her little girl cheeks start to wrinkle
But her smile is wide and her legs are spread wider
Her hair growing long and her hips getting larger
Past getting brighter
Light growing weaker
She is halfway down now but the man is impatient
Shakes change in his pocket he might have to wait
But she's coming
She's coming
She's coming
Who are you blaming?
They're just playing
That's a good one, who left the playground
A good decade before the bell rang?
As she starts to draw nearer the view becomes clearer
The splinters are painful but she doesn't feel it
The pennies were loaded and as they exploded
She starts to spin out of control
Her eyes are now closing her sleeves are unrolling
Up past her head and her veins are all showing
Not that she noticed, she's thoroughly focused on
One old man who's laughing
Who's laughing
Who's laughing
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
Don't worry, I've got you
The orange man got you
A late April day and it's sunny outside
And a red little girl's at the top of the slide
And an orange old man at the bottom
Wants to take her for a ride
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