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.
Brothers on the block making bankroll
The billion dollar dream is the dream for the cash flow
Little do they know, they're a little or a big hoe
But they have a car they can side at the sideshow
I'm the type of brother that'll tell another, "Hell no"
To the seller struck hiking rocks in a hellhole
Whether you can slide you can glide in your hoo ride
But you're gonna drown in the high tide of genocide
Brothers give my five but it's live jive
Can't understand with their hands in a beehive
I'mma take a risk on the dis take a big dive
Just to make it rhyme on time I'll say "Overdrive"
Missed 'em, I'm not with them but they're victims
'Cause they're just a part not the start of the system
No hocus pocus, that's the focus of the song
Hope that you can learn this and one day sing along
A clearly cut case co-opted by The Coup
An expose of foul play against me and you
Sing it
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
(Still don't nothing move but the money)
(Man Boots what you talking about?)
Explicit and implicit are the exploits
I'm speaking of the society that's living off me
No jumps and coast to coasting in a Detroit
No I am a factor that they don't need
'Cause labels are stable in this big world
Talking 'bout sex, you're a boy or a girl
Talking 'bout a kind you're a jerk or the jerker
Talking economics, you're the boss or the worker
Right about now I'm gonna change the flow
Going straight up like my new wave afro
I say it and they play it
Do you hear me though, you're guessing there's a lesson
But teach me, I want to know
Conjunction, junction what's my function?
Connected with the genocidal pace of a race reduction
Funny there's no money for my people's production
The Coup is not through cause we've got some gumption
A victim in a system about cold cash
If you don't make it then they treat you like trash
Dispose of you tonight if not in the morning
This is not a prophecy, this is just a warning
A clearly cut case co-opted by The Coup
An expos?of foul play against me and you
Sing it
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
Hey hold up we're about to let the DJ scratch here
(Well, let him scratch then)
At times I find my mind can think fast
Like when a pig has a trigger saying nigger that's your ass
Thoughts of a slave master rise from the past
The past is the present, 'cause I still feel the lash
It's against the law just to be black
'Cause the war on drugs is just thugs on the attack
The C is not the source of course so just get back
Why try a lot, I doubt it's just about crack
Brothers on the block making bankroll
Maybe could the dream be the dream of an overthrow?
If so no mo' we'll play the big toe
In a shoe that's cramped so break a brother's sole
Slip and stuck slowly to the same game
Several hundred years we have been in a chain gang
Let our shackles only add on to a migraine
Old fame, thoughts of pain slowly drive me insane
But then I started rapping for The Coup
A lot of rappers out there just looking for the pay-off
Listen to the message that the Boots brings to you
The Coup is just a group to bring order out of chaos
People pick problems out and isolate
Misguiding many to think it's a mistake
Well, I'm the Boots and I'm here to set 'em straight
My information leads me to think there's foul play
A clearly cut case co-opted by The Coup
An expos?of foul play against me and you
Sing it
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
The billion dollar dream is the dream for the cash flow
Little do they know, they're a little or a big hoe
But they have a car they can side at the sideshow
I'm the type of brother that'll tell another, "Hell no"
To the seller struck hiking rocks in a hellhole
Whether you can slide you can glide in your hoo ride
But you're gonna drown in the high tide of genocide
Brothers give my five but it's live jive
Can't understand with their hands in a beehive
I'mma take a risk on the dis take a big dive
Just to make it rhyme on time I'll say "Overdrive"
Missed 'em, I'm not with them but they're victims
'Cause they're just a part not the start of the system
No hocus pocus, that's the focus of the song
Hope that you can learn this and one day sing along
A clearly cut case co-opted by The Coup
An expose of foul play against me and you
Sing it
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
(Still don't nothing move but the money)
(Man Boots what you talking about?)
Explicit and implicit are the exploits
I'm speaking of the society that's living off me
No jumps and coast to coasting in a Detroit
No I am a factor that they don't need
'Cause labels are stable in this big world
Talking 'bout sex, you're a boy or a girl
Talking 'bout a kind you're a jerk or the jerker
Talking economics, you're the boss or the worker
Right about now I'm gonna change the flow
Going straight up like my new wave afro
I say it and they play it
Do you hear me though, you're guessing there's a lesson
But teach me, I want to know
Conjunction, junction what's my function?
Connected with the genocidal pace of a race reduction
Funny there's no money for my people's production
The Coup is not through cause we've got some gumption
A victim in a system about cold cash
If you don't make it then they treat you like trash
Dispose of you tonight if not in the morning
This is not a prophecy, this is just a warning
A clearly cut case co-opted by The Coup
An expos?of foul play against me and you
Sing it
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
Hey hold up we're about to let the DJ scratch here
(Well, let him scratch then)
At times I find my mind can think fast
Like when a pig has a trigger saying nigger that's your ass
Thoughts of a slave master rise from the past
The past is the present, 'cause I still feel the lash
It's against the law just to be black
'Cause the war on drugs is just thugs on the attack
The C is not the source of course so just get back
Why try a lot, I doubt it's just about crack
Brothers on the block making bankroll
Maybe could the dream be the dream of an overthrow?
If so no mo' we'll play the big toe
In a shoe that's cramped so break a brother's sole
Slip and stuck slowly to the same game
Several hundred years we have been in a chain gang
Let our shackles only add on to a migraine
Old fame, thoughts of pain slowly drive me insane
But then I started rapping for The Coup
A lot of rappers out there just looking for the pay-off
Listen to the message that the Boots brings to you
The Coup is just a group to bring order out of chaos
People pick problems out and isolate
Misguiding many to think it's a mistake
Well, I'm the Boots and I'm here to set 'em straight
My information leads me to think there's foul play
A clearly cut case co-opted by The Coup
An expos?of foul play against me and you
Sing it
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
It's funky, it's funky, it's funky, it's a funky situation
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