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.
last night i woke up from a dream i was running
down the boardwalk shore and the bomb was coming
bobby de niro was talking in my sleep
about a tidal wave coming, wash the shit off the street
is it true, is it coming
but i ain't running
some way to go, but i'm bound to be free
there ain't no hereos
everybody's scared
you hear me talking
or don't you care
ba-ba-bomb they're gonna tear it all down
blow it all up can we stop it now
i don't know and you don't care
what goes on over there
comes into plain view
i'm the same as any other
being robbed by a television monitor
it was just my imagination running away from me
i see wrong and i see right, but that's not all i want to see
cut out the shutters and the propaganda mutters
start into fighting from here to eternity
there ain't no hereos
everybody's scared
you hear me talking
but you don't care
i see a rainbow coming over the casino
sunshine reflecting on a soldier's machine gun
a warm summer storm falling on the ghetto
and millions of flowers growing over the graves
cut out the shutters and the speech writer stutters
start into fighting down here form eternity
there ain't no heroes
everybody's scared
you hear me talking
but you don't care
no heroes. no war heroes. everybody's scare. do the war.
down the boardwalk shore and the bomb was coming
bobby de niro was talking in my sleep
about a tidal wave coming, wash the shit off the street
is it true, is it coming
but i ain't running
some way to go, but i'm bound to be free
there ain't no hereos
everybody's scared
you hear me talking
or don't you care
ba-ba-bomb they're gonna tear it all down
blow it all up can we stop it now
i don't know and you don't care
what goes on over there
comes into plain view
i'm the same as any other
being robbed by a television monitor
it was just my imagination running away from me
i see wrong and i see right, but that's not all i want to see
cut out the shutters and the propaganda mutters
start into fighting from here to eternity
there ain't no hereos
everybody's scared
you hear me talking
but you don't care
i see a rainbow coming over the casino
sunshine reflecting on a soldier's machine gun
a warm summer storm falling on the ghetto
and millions of flowers growing over the graves
cut out the shutters and the speech writer stutters
start into fighting down here form eternity
there ain't no heroes
everybody's scared
you hear me talking
but you don't care
no heroes. no war heroes. everybody's scare. do the war.
Lyrics submitted by tiffytuffington
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