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.
When I left my home
I was not much more than a child,
My mother started crying
She knew that I was born to be wild
'Cuse I was looking for the bright lights of the big city,
A red hot town where the girls are pretty
I took to the highway,
Chasing my dream down the line
Heading out for trouble,
Never finding my peace of mind
'Cause I been run out of town so many times before
An' usually kind of places where I can't go back no more
Outlaw, born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
I never find it easy trying to keep the feeling alive,
I've always been a dreamer,
Dreamers find it hard to survive
When they're living in the bright lights of the big city,
A red hot town where the girls are pretty
Outlaw, born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
Outlaw, born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
Outlaw, born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
Born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
Outlaw, outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
I was not much more than a child,
My mother started crying
She knew that I was born to be wild
'Cuse I was looking for the bright lights of the big city,
A red hot town where the girls are pretty
I took to the highway,
Chasing my dream down the line
Heading out for trouble,
Never finding my peace of mind
'Cause I been run out of town so many times before
An' usually kind of places where I can't go back no more
Outlaw, born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
I never find it easy trying to keep the feeling alive,
I've always been a dreamer,
Dreamers find it hard to survive
When they're living in the bright lights of the big city,
A red hot town where the girls are pretty
Outlaw, born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
Outlaw, born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
Outlaw, born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
Born outside of the law,
Just another outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
Outlaw, outlaw,
Man on the run will always take chances for fun
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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