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.
Are your friends really your friends? Are you still waiting for the end of the day? Hey, hey, when will you lean to love what's sent from up above? Riga girls go like this, make me wish I was someone else. Oh, riga girls are you sad? Oh, I wish i had someone. Just a little bit of snake oil, tin foil. It takes so little charm to keep you hanging on. But it's a facade like the sky, like the moon, like your eyes. Who would want you as you are? What can you give they couldn't get from someone else? What life of ease, what wedding bells, what pretty stones, what precious wealth? Dont' be lonely, why dont' you call me? It's called a come on, come on, come on baby. Does your heart echo like a hall, 'cause there's no one there at all.
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okay he actually explained it at a concert. steve tannen, the guy from the weepies, accidentally got on a spam list and got 500 emails a day. and he was so lonely at this time that sometimes he would actually read them. and he said they all had interesting subjects like 'STEVE!!!' and he would be like, yeah?? lol (he's so cute). so one said "RIGA GIRLS!!!!!!!! GO LIKE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!" and he opened it and got a TON of porn. lol so but it's a beautiful song, he was able to explain loneliness in this interesting way based on a very odd story. i think the "riga girls are you sad?" part is just... so touching. fantastic band.
Riga is indeed the capitol of Latvia where it just so happens that prostitution is incredibly common and very cheap. So I always just related this song to that, almost a Holden Caufield moment where you just pay a prostitute to have someone to listen to you and pretend as if they cared.
yah thats exactly what steve tannen said at the show i went to and i heard that story. i love the song though, i think its just like so odd that i can find it relatable, and i think a lot of people can. as stupid as it sounds, relating average people to porn stars but you have to just think how lonely they are to do the things they do, and when he says "oh i wish i had someone." and that makes me sad cause i always thought the last line was "is your heart of gold like a hall? cause theres no one there at all." but i guess echo makes much more sense. rats
what is a riga girl?
yea, I have no idea. I enjoy the song. I tried looking up definitions and whatnot of "riga" and all I could find was that there is a "gulf of riga" and apparently its the capitol of Latvia.
yah hab is right it the name is derived from a spam e-mail subject line.
ccockerill, you said it best with holden caufield. =]
"Does your heart echo like a hall 'cause there's no one there at all?"
Priceless lyrics.