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.
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In seventy seven and sixty nine, revolution was in the air
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
When head of state didn't play guitar, not everybody drove a car
When music really mattered and when radio was king
When accountants didn't have control, and the media couldn't buy your soul
And computers were still scary and we didn't know everything
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In seventy seven and sixty nine, revolution was in the air
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
When popstars still remained a myth, and ignorance could still be bliss
And God save the queen, she turned a whiter shade of pale,
My mum and dad were in their teens and anarchy was still a dream
And the only way to stay in touch was a letter in the mail
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In seventy seven and sixty nine, revolution was in the air
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
When record shops were still on top, and vinyl was all that they stocked
And the super-info highway was still drifting out in space
Kids were wearing hand me downs, and playing games meant kick around
And footballers still had long hair and dirt across their face
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In seventy seven and sixty nine, revolution was in the air
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In seventy seven and sixty nine, revolution was in the air
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
When head of state didn't play guitar, not everybody drove a car
When music really mattered and when radio was king
When accountants didn't have control, and the media couldn't buy your soul
And computers were still scary and we didn't know everything
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In seventy seven and sixty nine, revolution was in the air
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
When popstars still remained a myth, and ignorance could still be bliss
And God save the queen, she turned a whiter shade of pale,
My mum and dad were in their teens and anarchy was still a dream
And the only way to stay in touch was a letter in the mail
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In seventy seven and sixty nine, revolution was in the air
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
When record shops were still on top, and vinyl was all that they stocked
And the super-info highway was still drifting out in space
Kids were wearing hand me downs, and playing games meant kick around
And footballers still had long hair and dirt across their face
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In seventy seven and sixty nine, revolution was in the air
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my
I was born too late, into a world that doesn't care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
Lyrics submitted by laurenhasissues
I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair) Lyrics as written by Sandi Thom Ian Brown
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Just about the most ludicrous lyrics I have ever heard! Where I came from (near London) people who had flowers in their hair and talked about peace and love were called hippies, that was 1967. Punk rock was about 10 years later when I was a teenager; they were supposed to be rude and offensive, some of the early punks used swastikas mostly to shock people but some were followers of neo-nazi movements definitely not peace and love. Anyway there was much more poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia and a lot of unpleasantness of all kinds and the idea that there was some sort of golden age in the past ......... the only good bit of this song is not everyone had to have a car and if you did it was just to get from A to B not a status symbol.
Anyone who thinkgs that punk rock was just about hatred and nazism seriously needs to brush up on their music history...some of the most important punk bands' messages were about anti-racism and peace, same as the hippies ten years earlier. It's possible to combine two idealogies in one song without being contradictory.
And yeah, decent song, would have been nice to be around with all that revolutionary spirit in the air.
This song makes a hell lot of sense and all of the "this song makes no sense"-people are probably the kind of dumb american (well, there are some in other countries too) teenagers that listen to music that doesn't anything at all and watch MTV bullshit like the Hills and Next and believe in that lifestyle.
lol this song is pretty kool. punk rockers never had flowers in their hair but i think shes trying 2 say she wants to be a mix of things like a hippie and a punkrocker fighting 4 freedom n all that rubbish. the songs just catchy
i wish i was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair!
just heard it on the radio... what a great song! So I'm not the only one who was born too late?!? very comforting :)
These lyrics are not rediculos because of the term "punk-rocker with flowers in my hair". She quotes both 69 and 77 (69 for the flowers and 77 for punk rocker). It's true many punks were rude, but for those where weren't just folowing a trend it was an anti-class and anti-modern scociety attidude that left them disalusioned by all that surounded them. If you'd had just come to the realisation that you're suroundings were bullshit and there's a whole lot wrong with scociety you'd be rude as well.
What she's getting at is that is that there's no major social upheavals for the benifit of all man going on, that everybody's consuming rescourses at a higher rate for no good reason, that technology has over complicated life, that we're controled by the media and that we all worship the almighty dollar...
...And that's the rediculous part! This woman needs to turn off her TV, stop relying on it and the mass media for her view of the world and help out with any of the many many social movements that are currently going on in this world like the anti-iraq-war movement for example, or even organic-food movement, perhaps anti-globalisation? or maby just go buy her clothes from a 2nd hand shop. the thing is that there are just as many movements and revolutionaries today as there were 30 odd years ago, the only difference is that those who do not want their voice heard have ensured they get no airtime whatsoever (as aposed to not very much airtime).
...mind you, i'd rather see kiddies and people who aren't awear of the world they're living in enjoying a song like this than most of the other tripe that makes it onto TV/comercial radio
Great song. "Punk rocker with flowers in my hair" is just a way of one expressing a desire for freedom and bohemia. Dont get all pedantic on Sandi.
Johnny Walker on Radio 2 was playing this song, months ago.
Sweet paulbrowneart.co.uk
1969 was the first woodstock....mean anything??
i'm afraid this is just a massive rip-off...
I like this song, though, alike to 'oldgit' I appreciate that she uses a total paradox in the main line in the song, which is quite annoying. I heard it months before it came out, and the impressive vocals struck me. Another thing that struck me, upon taking a closer look at the lyrics, was the contrived attempt to make herself seem alternative and progressive, when really, she's just taken thoughts that are in the head of any person who thinks the world isn't in too great a state politically and turned them into a fairly straight-talking song. Total mixed feelings, to be honest, jazzy, catchy tune and stunning voice with fairly well thought-out lyrics, but it's the try-hard tone of the song that makes it sound like a bad attempt at making music that says something, when really, she's just taken an idea and exploited it.