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.
I had a friend named Victor
The two of us used hang every single day
And it seemed like overnight that his whole life just changed
I know when his mom and his dad broke up it didn't make sense
But I know that his dad was a drunk and he gambled away the rent
Pretty soon Vic was seeing red, pissed off, but instead
He'd drink every night 'til he passed out
Then he'd do it all again
The whole time smiling on the outside to cover the pain
But on the inside all he was trying to do was get away
Yo, funny how things change color
Then fade to another shade, when you had it made
It was all good, but now look, just another day
It was so fresh, it was so clean
Now it's all gone, one, two, three
Lights out, which way to turn
Can't get a grip, all alone in a big white house
Every day gets worse and you just curse 'til your head bursts
And it hurts so bad, she left, now you suffer
Should've thought of that one first
No family, no kids, can't accept what you did, now you wanna
Run away but you can't cause the past comes back again
Slippin' through the cracks, sip a little Jack
Go to bed half dead
What about a rent? Why does every cent gotta be a bet
When's it gonna end
Oh my God, we don't got a penny left
My mom's gotta find a way to get a job
Outta debt, outta dodge, out of breath, out of this big problem
My pop's wanna get away from the pain
In a better place in his brain
But the medication he takes makes him wasted
So sick if he's gonna think the good Lord would come to take him
I'm shaking him
Wake up you son of a bitch
He's dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks
Hiding himself away
Watching all the memories fade away
From red to black
The two of us used hang every single day
And it seemed like overnight that his whole life just changed
I know when his mom and his dad broke up it didn't make sense
But I know that his dad was a drunk and he gambled away the rent
Pretty soon Vic was seeing red, pissed off, but instead
He'd drink every night 'til he passed out
Then he'd do it all again
The whole time smiling on the outside to cover the pain
But on the inside all he was trying to do was get away
Yo, funny how things change color
Then fade to another shade, when you had it made
It was all good, but now look, just another day
It was so fresh, it was so clean
Now it's all gone, one, two, three
Lights out, which way to turn
Can't get a grip, all alone in a big white house
Every day gets worse and you just curse 'til your head bursts
And it hurts so bad, she left, now you suffer
Should've thought of that one first
No family, no kids, can't accept what you did, now you wanna
Run away but you can't cause the past comes back again
Slippin' through the cracks, sip a little Jack
Go to bed half dead
What about a rent? Why does every cent gotta be a bet
When's it gonna end
Oh my God, we don't got a penny left
My mom's gotta find a way to get a job
Outta debt, outta dodge, out of breath, out of this big problem
My pop's wanna get away from the pain
In a better place in his brain
But the medication he takes makes him wasted
So sick if he's gonna think the good Lord would come to take him
I'm shaking him
Wake up you son of a bitch
He's dying to get away
Let the pain of yesterday
Go slipping through the cracks
Hiding himself away
Watching all the memories fade away
From red to black
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