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.
On a blue antique night
In early October
His wavy brown hair
Stuck wet to his shoulder
And its click, click, click
Go the heels of his feet
Listen
How long has it been since the boyfriend has visited
The milk's in a pile by the door
Her series is playing on terrestrial T.V. the neighbours they don't even know
And its click, click, click
Go the heels of his feet
Listen
Did you hang her out to dry?
The meal that she was going to eat for her dinner
Is left on a plate by the stove
While there's unopened bills and letters and junk mail
All strewn on the mat by the door
And its click, click click
Go the heels of his feet
Listen
Did you hang her out to dry?
Rama lama lama
Shake, shake, shake, shake
How long has it been since the boyfriend has visited
The papers are filling the close
While she's face down on porcelain
An inchful of bathwater
The neighbours they don't even know or care
And its drip, drip, drip
Goes the tap on her ankles
Listen
Did you hang her out to dry?
Rama lama lama
Shake, shake, shake, shake
In early October
His wavy brown hair
Stuck wet to his shoulder
And its click, click, click
Go the heels of his feet
Listen
How long has it been since the boyfriend has visited
The milk's in a pile by the door
Her series is playing on terrestrial T.V. the neighbours they don't even know
And its click, click, click
Go the heels of his feet
Listen
Did you hang her out to dry?
The meal that she was going to eat for her dinner
Is left on a plate by the stove
While there's unopened bills and letters and junk mail
All strewn on the mat by the door
And its click, click click
Go the heels of his feet
Listen
Did you hang her out to dry?
Rama lama lama
Shake, shake, shake, shake
How long has it been since the boyfriend has visited
The papers are filling the close
While she's face down on porcelain
An inchful of bathwater
The neighbours they don't even know or care
And its drip, drip, drip
Goes the tap on her ankles
Listen
Did you hang her out to dry?
Rama lama lama
Shake, shake, shake, shake
Lyrics submitted by YoungxForxEternity
Rama Lama Lyrics as written by Ailidh Lennon Adele Louise Bethel
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song gives me the heebie jeebies. Haha. Pity there aren't more Adele vocals on this song though, I love her voice. Anyway, I think its about a guy killing his girlfriend (well duh), but that his girlfriend was a bit of a low-life... ie, "the neighbours don't even know or care." It's the "drip drip drip goes the tap on her ankles" bit that really gets me though.
This is more like it. Some good old-fashioned foot-stomping Scottish indie rock. Great.
Some of the lyrics are wrong...
"The meal that she was going to eat for her dinner It's left on a plate by the stove While there's unopened bills and letters and junk mail All strewn on the mat by the door"
"How long has it been since the boyfriend has visited? The papers are filling the close"
And according to the official site it is "Did you hang her out to dry?" I saw them supporting Morrissey and they were fantastic, they played this song and it was the best part of the show.
YoungForEternity, I don't think the boyfriend killed her, just dumped her or ignored her - hence 'hung her out to dry'. She then killed herself and nobody cares, including the boyfriend.
I'm pretty sure that it's not "shake shake shake shake" but "say it say it say it say it"
In my opinion the boyfriend has drowned the girl facedown in her bath. “His wavy brown hair stuck wet to his shoulder And it's click click click go the heels of his feet listen...” he gets wet in the struggle and in the silence once she dies all you hear is the clicking of his feet as he leaves
no one notices her absence or misses her. life has continued without her; bills and papers have continued to come and piled up.
And their solution is to simply ‘hang her out to dry”
According life performance on youtube youtube.com/watch
the boy friend did kill his girlfriend.