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.
Busted flat and dusted boy your mind's a terrible thing
Said the man with a dirty hand who claimed that he was king
Chokin' angels from inside trying to make them sing
'Cause your short of breath and close to death from sleeping on the wing
Dirty king, dirty king now your strapped in for the ride
It's so hard to be a fighter when your hands are always tied.
Mr. Innocent blood says he kills but just for love
Too bad the good ones always have to take the blame
"Hey" sharp toungue liar making pay in a bed of fire
Too bad your dreams are always made of losing games
Dirty king dirty king now you're strapped in for the ride
It's so hard to be a fighter when your hands are always tied.
But I want to
I want to
I want to but my hands were always tied up
Yes indeed
But I want to
I want to
I want to but my hands were always tied up
Dirty king
And I wish I had myself a dime for every time I cursed your
Goddamn name
Mister clean
Sweatin' on the line doin 40 wasting time
Ain't it funny how that money rots your brain
Put your soul on trial cause you lost it all to a tiny vial
Look in the mirror when you tell me who's insane
Dirty king dirty king now your strapped in for the ride
It's so hard to be a fighter when your hands are always tied.
I want to but my hands are always tied up
But I want to
I want to
I want to but my hands are always tied up
But I wish I had myself a dime for every time I cursed your
Goddamn name
Mister clean
Said the man with a dirty hand who claimed that he was king
Chokin' angels from inside trying to make them sing
'Cause your short of breath and close to death from sleeping on the wing
Dirty king, dirty king now your strapped in for the ride
It's so hard to be a fighter when your hands are always tied.
Mr. Innocent blood says he kills but just for love
Too bad the good ones always have to take the blame
"Hey" sharp toungue liar making pay in a bed of fire
Too bad your dreams are always made of losing games
Dirty king dirty king now you're strapped in for the ride
It's so hard to be a fighter when your hands are always tied.
But I want to
I want to
I want to but my hands were always tied up
Yes indeed
But I want to
I want to
I want to but my hands were always tied up
Dirty king
And I wish I had myself a dime for every time I cursed your
Goddamn name
Mister clean
Sweatin' on the line doin 40 wasting time
Ain't it funny how that money rots your brain
Put your soul on trial cause you lost it all to a tiny vial
Look in the mirror when you tell me who's insane
Dirty king dirty king now your strapped in for the ride
It's so hard to be a fighter when your hands are always tied.
I want to but my hands are always tied up
But I want to
I want to
I want to but my hands are always tied up
But I wish I had myself a dime for every time I cursed your
Goddamn name
Mister clean
Lyrics submitted by ChaseKenderes
Señor Limpio Lyrics as written by Keenan
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Sounds to me, like LR said, it's about a man who knows what he wants, but can't get it. Dirty king and Mister clean sound like things you'd call someone who has the woman you want. Dirty king being disgusting king of her heart, Mr. Clean being a sarcastic refference to a show put up for her. I want to is saying that he'd like to steal her from the 'dirty king' but, his hands are always tied. It all makes since in that light if you think about it.
It's about the plight of the man who knows exactly what he must do but can't or is too afraid. The title is a reference to a sexually impotent man, which is in turn a reference to the other meaning of impotence, which is general uselessness and powerlessness. A wonderful song. There seems to be some other meaning or story to this song, but I can't really make it out.
I thought it was about somebody about to be executed.
The dirty king 'lost it all to a tiny vial', his 'hands are always tied' (in cuffs, or maybe a reference to tying off before IV drugs). Finally he's 'strapped in for the ride' which is the electric chair, like Metallica - Ride the Lightning. I guess the tiny vial could also be a lethal injection.
Something like that anyways.
Best. COC Song. Ever.
The song is about drug addiction and the duality of man's nature. Yin and yang. You can't be "clean" until you've been dirty. "Strapped in for the ride," means you're high and now you got to ride it out, wherever it takes you, through the addiction. You're clean, you want to get high, you're high, you want to get clean, "but your hands are always tied."
I think this song talks to someone who criticizes the lifestyle and the being of a person (Busted flat and dusted boy your mind's a terrible thing Said the man with a dirty hand who claimed that he was king). Dirty King struggles with himself knowing he is stepping over corpses to gain power fame and money. The person blamed for his "lifestyle" now wants to fight him, destroy hime but hw cannot because he wil end up in jail ("my hands are always tied up.") But in the end Dirty King ends up in jail "doing 40 wasting time" under the sun. He has lost it all and judges himself but he has gone insane (Look in the mirror when you tell me who's insane)
Its about drug addiction. The lyrics left out the last line. "Your soul's in a bottle of dope!"
Or "vial of dope" makes more sense. I used to think he was saying bottle when I was a kid. Listening back now 25 years later this song makes way more sense.