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.
Bright light city
Gonna set my
Soul
Gonna set my
Soul on fire
There's a whole
Lot a money just
Ready to burn so
Get those stakes
Up higher
There's a
Thousand pretty
Women just
Waitin' out there
They're all livin'
Devil may care
And I'm just the
Devil with love to
Spare
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
How I wish that
There were more
Than 24 hours in
A day
But even if there
Were 40 more I
Wouldn't sleep a
Minute away
There's blackjack,
Poker and the
Roulette wheel
A fortune won
And lost on
Every deal
All you need is
Money and
Nerves of steel
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
With your neon
Flashing
And your
One-armed
Bandits crashing
All your
Hopes down the
Drain
Viva Las Vegas
Turning day into
Night time turnin'
'Night into day
Time if you've seen it once you'll
Never be the
Same again
Gonna keep on
The run
I'm gonna have
Me some fun
If it costs me
My very last
Dime
If I wind up
Broke well I'll
Always remember
That I had a
Swinging time
I'm gonna give it
Everything I got
Lady Luck won't
You let the dice
Stay hot
Let me shoot a
Seven with every
Shot
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Viva
Las Vegas
Busted
Solo out
Gonna set my
Soul
Gonna set my
Soul on fire
There's a whole
Lot a money just
Ready to burn so
Get those stakes
Up higher
There's a
Thousand pretty
Women just
Waitin' out there
They're all livin'
Devil may care
And I'm just the
Devil with love to
Spare
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
How I wish that
There were more
Than 24 hours in
A day
But even if there
Were 40 more I
Wouldn't sleep a
Minute away
There's blackjack,
Poker and the
Roulette wheel
A fortune won
And lost on
Every deal
All you need is
Money and
Nerves of steel
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
With your neon
Flashing
And your
One-armed
Bandits crashing
All your
Hopes down the
Drain
Viva Las Vegas
Turning day into
Night time turnin'
'Night into day
Time if you've seen it once you'll
Never be the
Same again
Gonna keep on
The run
I'm gonna have
Me some fun
If it costs me
My very last
Dime
If I wind up
Broke well I'll
Always remember
That I had a
Swinging time
I'm gonna give it
Everything I got
Lady Luck won't
You let the dice
Stay hot
Let me shoot a
Seven with every
Shot
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Viva
Las Vegas
Busted
Solo out
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