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.
Wasted, disposable dying scum
Two months tops before silence replace your small beating drum
Isn’t that what we’re all waiting for
So we can go home and celebrate our good life
But I feel gun powder
Burning under my skin
Don’t say another word
You might set off a spark
Cause I’ve got gun powder
Burning under my skin
Take me back to TV-land
Numbness is a safe zone
They never trained me for reality
I’m a reality-TV clone
Now did you say your 10 going on 11
Something is terribly wrong
Somehow I’m dying with you
But I feel gun powder
Burning under my skin
Don’t say another word
You might set off a spark
Cause I’ve got gun powder
Burning under my skin
Yemkela
Don’t leave now
Two months tops before silence replace your small beating drum
Isn’t that what we’re all waiting for
So we can go home and celebrate our good life
But I feel gun powder
Burning under my skin
Don’t say another word
You might set off a spark
Cause I’ve got gun powder
Burning under my skin
Take me back to TV-land
Numbness is a safe zone
They never trained me for reality
I’m a reality-TV clone
Now did you say your 10 going on 11
Something is terribly wrong
Somehow I’m dying with you
But I feel gun powder
Burning under my skin
Don’t say another word
You might set off a spark
Cause I’ve got gun powder
Burning under my skin
Yemkela
Don’t leave now
Lyrics submitted by kyrieflutter
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this is how christian, blindside's lead singer, described the meaning of the song:
Yemkela is a 10-year old boy. He lives on the streets of Kayamande. His mom died of aids and his dad is gone. A normal person has 1000 T cells – if you have less than 200 you have AIDS - he has 20. When you see this kind of suffering you can choose to be numb to it or you try to open yourself to a relationship. Meeting these people first hand and experiencing these emotions you can’t go back. But at times you feel you are going to explode. For me it felt like I had gunpowder under my skin and the slightest spark would ignite me. The guy we stayed with in South Africa. He didn’t want to get in relationships with kids – because they die. It is just too hard. But he knew Yamkela's Mom and she died from AIDS and the Dad wasn’t around and a relative took Yemkela in but didn’t care for him and so our friend felt a responsibility for Yemkela and took care of him. That lead to the attachment that he was always concerned about. This kid was an orphan and our friend was going back to the US and was saying goodbye to this young boy he had grown so close to. To make the story a little worse the day before he was due to leave 1000 shacks burnt down including in Kayamande. Yamkela's was one of them and so he was literally going to be on the streets. I was standing there watching these two people saying goodbye and realized that this might be their last goodbye. It is impossible to put that emotion into words. The story actually has somewhat of a happy ending because some mutual friends took Yamkela in while our friend returned to the States and he is in the process of trying to adopt Yamkela. This record was really born in a dark place but as we have started taking it around the world we are seeing the power of hope and joy. It is possible to be in a trying times and still feel a sense of joy.
Between the meaning of this song and the lyrics and what Christian had to say about it, it makes me so sad. I completely understand how he feels, but not as much as he does. I wasn't there. But this song is so true,
"Wasted, disposable dying scum Two months tops before silence replace your small beating drum Isn’t that what we’re all waiting for So we can go home and celebrate our good life"
That is so so so true.
"Yemkela Don’t leave now"
There is so much raw emotion in that, it makes me want to cry. It seriously hurts my heart to hear it.
I so hear you