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.
Looka yonder
Looka yonder
Looka yonder
A big black cloud come
A big black cloud come
Oh, comes to Tupelo
Comes to Tupelo
Yonder on the horizon
Yonder on the horizon
Stopped at the mighty river
Stopped at the mighty river and
Sucked the damn thing dry
Sucked the damn thing dry
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo
Well, distant thunder rumble
Distant thunder rumble
Rumble hungry like the Beast
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Tupelo bound
Tupelo
Yeah, oh, Tupelo
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound
Why the hen won't lay no egg
Can't get that cock to crow
The nag is spooked and crazy
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Ya can say these streets are rivers
Ya can call these rivers streets
Ya can tell ya self your dreaming buddy
But no sleep runs this deep
No, no sleep runs this deep
No, no sleep runs this deep
Women at their windows
Rain crashing on the pane
Writing in the frost
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh, go to sleep little children
The sandman's on his way
Oh, go to sleep little children
The sandman's on his way
But the little children know
But the little children know
They listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
And black rain come down
The black rain come down
The black rain come down
Oh, water, water everywhere
Water, water everywhere
Where no bird can fly, no fish can swim
No bird can fly, no fish can swim
No fish can swim
Until The King is born
Until The King is born (Tupelo)
In Tupelo
'Til The King is born in Tupelo
In a clap-board shack with a roof of tin
Where the rain crashed down and leaked within
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor
And a bottle, and a box, and a cradle of straw
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
And a bottle, and a box, and a cradle of straw
Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals
And a child is born on his brothers heels
Sunday morn and the first-born dead
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon of red
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon of red
Oh mama rock you little one slow
Mama rock your baby
Mama rock your little one slow
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
Mama rock your little one slow
Mama rock your little one slow
The little one will walk on Tupelo
The little one will walk on Tupelo
Black rain come down
Black rain come down
Twenty years of litter and a burner phone
Years of litter and a burner phone
What does Nirvana do?
Ripped up, buried, and given away
And the King will walk on Tupelo
The King will walk on Tupelo
And carry the burden of Tupelo (Tupelo)
And carry the burden of Tupelo
And carry the burden of Tupelo
Yeah, carry the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Tupelo, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, oh, Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, yeah Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Hey, hey, hey Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, yeah, yeah Tupelo
You will reap just what you sow
Oh, oh, yeah
Oh, Tupelo
Looka yonder
Looka yonder
A big black cloud come
A big black cloud come
Oh, comes to Tupelo
Comes to Tupelo
Yonder on the horizon
Yonder on the horizon
Stopped at the mighty river
Stopped at the mighty river and
Sucked the damn thing dry
Sucked the damn thing dry
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
In a valley hides a town called Tupelo
Well, distant thunder rumble
Distant thunder rumble
Rumble hungry like the Beast
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
The Beast it cometh, cometh down
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Tupelo bound
Tupelo
Yeah, oh, Tupelo
The Beast it cometh, Tupelo bound
Why the hen won't lay no egg
Can't get that cock to crow
The nag is spooked and crazy
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Ya can say these streets are rivers
Ya can call these rivers streets
Ya can tell ya self your dreaming buddy
But no sleep runs this deep
No, no sleep runs this deep
No, no sleep runs this deep
Women at their windows
Rain crashing on the pane
Writing in the frost
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Tupelo's shame
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh God, help Tupelo
Oh, go to sleep little children
The sandman's on his way
Oh, go to sleep little children
The sandman's on his way
But the little children know
But the little children know
They listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Listen to the beating of their blood
Sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
The sandman's mud
And black rain come down
The black rain come down
The black rain come down
Oh, water, water everywhere
Water, water everywhere
Where no bird can fly, no fish can swim
No bird can fly, no fish can swim
No fish can swim
Until The King is born
Until The King is born (Tupelo)
In Tupelo
'Til The King is born in Tupelo
In a clap-board shack with a roof of tin
Where the rain crashed down and leaked within
A young mother frozen on a concrete floor
And a bottle, and a box, and a cradle of straw
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
And a bottle, and a box, and a cradle of straw
Well Saturday gives what Sunday steals
And a child is born on his brothers heels
Sunday morn and the first-born dead
In a shoebox tied with a ribbon of red
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
In a shoebox buried with a ribbon of red
Oh mama rock you little one slow
Mama rock your baby
Mama rock your little one slow
God help Tupelo
God help Tupelo
Mama rock your little one slow
Mama rock your little one slow
The little one will walk on Tupelo
The little one will walk on Tupelo
Black rain come down
Black rain come down
Twenty years of litter and a burner phone
Years of litter and a burner phone
What does Nirvana do?
Ripped up, buried, and given away
And the King will walk on Tupelo
The King will walk on Tupelo
And carry the burden of Tupelo (Tupelo)
And carry the burden of Tupelo
And carry the burden of Tupelo
Yeah, carry the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Tupelo, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Oh, Tupelo
Yeah, The King will walk on Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, oh, Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, yeah Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Hey, hey, hey Tupelo
He carried the burden of Tupelo
Tupelo
Yeah, yeah, yeah Tupelo
You will reap just what you sow
Oh, oh, yeah
Oh, Tupelo
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
The "water water everywhere" line is a play on the Samuel Coolidge poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner