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.
Anybody in here right now with tape decks turn 'em on
And put 'em on record, I'll give you a second
I want to add authenticity to your tape
So when it's sold out in the street
You all can know this was a real party
These are poems circulating throughout the nation
Everybody's bad and everybody's tough
But how many people are intelligent enough
To open up their eyes and see through the lies
Discipline themselves, yourself to stay alive?
Not many
That's why the universe sent me today on this stage
With this to to say
The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer
And in the final hour many heads will lose power
What does the rich versus the poor really mean?
Psychologically it means you got to pick your team
When someone says the rich gets richer
Visualize wealth and put yourselves in the picture
The rich get richer, cause they work towards rich
The poor get poorer, cause their minds can't switch from the ghetto
Let go, it's not a novelty
You could love your neighborhood without loving poverty
Follow me, every mother, father, son, daughter
There's no reason to fear the New World Order
We must order the whole new world to pay us
The New World Order and the old state chaos
The Big Brother watching over you, is a lie you see
Hip-Hop could build it's own secret society
But first you and I got to unify
Stop the negativity and control our creativity
The rich is getting richer, so why we ain't richer?
Could it be we still thinking like niggas?
Educate yourselves, make your world view bigger
Visualize wealth and put yourselves in the picture
And put 'em on record, I'll give you a second
I want to add authenticity to your tape
So when it's sold out in the street
You all can know this was a real party
These are poems circulating throughout the nation
Everybody's bad and everybody's tough
But how many people are intelligent enough
To open up their eyes and see through the lies
Discipline themselves, yourself to stay alive?
Not many
That's why the universe sent me today on this stage
With this to to say
The rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer
And in the final hour many heads will lose power
What does the rich versus the poor really mean?
Psychologically it means you got to pick your team
When someone says the rich gets richer
Visualize wealth and put yourselves in the picture
The rich get richer, cause they work towards rich
The poor get poorer, cause their minds can't switch from the ghetto
Let go, it's not a novelty
You could love your neighborhood without loving poverty
Follow me, every mother, father, son, daughter
There's no reason to fear the New World Order
We must order the whole new world to pay us
The New World Order and the old state chaos
The Big Brother watching over you, is a lie you see
Hip-Hop could build it's own secret society
But first you and I got to unify
Stop the negativity and control our creativity
The rich is getting richer, so why we ain't richer?
Could it be we still thinking like niggas?
Educate yourselves, make your world view bigger
Visualize wealth and put yourselves in the picture
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
2nd Quarter-Free Throws Lyrics as written by Lawrence Krsone Parker
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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