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.
Against the canvas of the night
Appears a curious celestial phenomena
Called Black Star, but what is it?
Black people unite and let's all get down
We got to have what? We got to have that love
What is the Black Star?
Is it the cat with the black shades, the black car?
Is it shining from very far, to where you are?
It is commonplace and different
Intimate and distant
Fresher than an infant
Black, my family thick, like they're striped molasses
Star, on the rise, in the eyes of the masses
Black is the color of my true love's hair
Star's are bright, shining, hot balls of air
Black like my baby girl's stare
Black like the veil that the muslimina wear
Black like the planet that they fear, why they scared?
Black like the slave ship that later brought us here
Black like the cheeks that are roadways for tears
That leave black faces well traveled with years
Black like assassin cross hairs
Blacker than my granddaddy armchair
He never really got no time to chill there
Cause this life is warfare, warfare
Deep on the front lines, and blacks is all there
Black like the perception of who, on welfare
Black like faces at the bottom of the well
I've been there before
To bring the light and heat it up like "la cocina"
Make without imagine happen but maybe I'm just a dreamer
I love rockin' tracks like John Coltrane love Naema
Like the student love the teacher
Like the prophet love Khadeja
Like I love my baby features
Like the creator love all creatures
Who acknowledge truth and peace seekers
We on point like heat seekers
Targeting the black marketing strategists
Run up on 'em with the heaters
Everybody following with no leaders
Feeling like we killing ourselves
Because I know they can't defeat us
It don't stop 'til we complete this, keep this fly
There's so much to life when you just stay Black and God
Blacker than the nighttime sky of BedStuy in July
Blacker than the seed in the blackberry pie
Blacker than the middle of my eye
Black like feh-lah man cry
Some man wan ask "Who am I?"
I simply reply, "The U-N-I, V-E-R-S-A-L Magnetic"
Work to respect the angelic, climb the mountaintop
And tell it 'til the valley's enveloped
You're full of big chat but you nah know me
I'm dark like the side of the moon you don't see
When the moon shine newly
You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) Me
You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) Me
You know who else is a Black Star, who we? (And we)
Be shining and shining, when we rhyming and rhyming
We be shining and shining, when we rhyming and rhyming
Now everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
The 8th Light, is gonna shine bright tonight
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
You know the light
Go from the dark
The other way is ass-backwards
It's absurd
Make you want to crow like a blackbird
That's right
You living from your first day to your last night
Sometimes you show your ass like
Lint on your clothes
When you froze in
The black light
Dead that
Before you get your head wrapped
Like Badu
We see through your voodoo
Just like Eve's Bayou, you dealing with that black magic
Try to civilize you
Not walk on by you
Like civil-(lies do get you black listed) it'll
Be unlucky for you like a black cat
A panther
Revolution is the answer
That's what we need
Greed plague my people like the cancer
True indeed
Now black people unite, and let's all get down
Now everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
The 8th Light, is gonna shine bright tonight
Everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
The 8th Light, is gonna shine bright tonight
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
Equaling up to eight, light shine bright
Appears a curious celestial phenomena
Called Black Star, but what is it?
Black people unite and let's all get down
We got to have what? We got to have that love
What is the Black Star?
Is it the cat with the black shades, the black car?
Is it shining from very far, to where you are?
It is commonplace and different
Intimate and distant
Fresher than an infant
Black, my family thick, like they're striped molasses
Star, on the rise, in the eyes of the masses
Black is the color of my true love's hair
Star's are bright, shining, hot balls of air
Black like my baby girl's stare
Black like the veil that the muslimina wear
Black like the planet that they fear, why they scared?
Black like the slave ship that later brought us here
Black like the cheeks that are roadways for tears
That leave black faces well traveled with years
Black like assassin cross hairs
Blacker than my granddaddy armchair
He never really got no time to chill there
Cause this life is warfare, warfare
Deep on the front lines, and blacks is all there
Black like the perception of who, on welfare
Black like faces at the bottom of the well
I've been there before
To bring the light and heat it up like "la cocina"
Make without imagine happen but maybe I'm just a dreamer
I love rockin' tracks like John Coltrane love Naema
Like the student love the teacher
Like the prophet love Khadeja
Like I love my baby features
Like the creator love all creatures
Who acknowledge truth and peace seekers
We on point like heat seekers
Targeting the black marketing strategists
Run up on 'em with the heaters
Everybody following with no leaders
Feeling like we killing ourselves
Because I know they can't defeat us
It don't stop 'til we complete this, keep this fly
There's so much to life when you just stay Black and God
Blacker than the nighttime sky of BedStuy in July
Blacker than the seed in the blackberry pie
Blacker than the middle of my eye
Black like feh-lah man cry
Some man wan ask "Who am I?"
I simply reply, "The U-N-I, V-E-R-S-A-L Magnetic"
Work to respect the angelic, climb the mountaintop
And tell it 'til the valley's enveloped
You're full of big chat but you nah know me
I'm dark like the side of the moon you don't see
When the moon shine newly
You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) Me
You know who else is a Black Star? (Who?) Me
You know who else is a Black Star, who we? (And we)
Be shining and shining, when we rhyming and rhyming
We be shining and shining, when we rhyming and rhyming
Now everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
The 8th Light, is gonna shine bright tonight
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
You know the light
Go from the dark
The other way is ass-backwards
It's absurd
Make you want to crow like a blackbird
That's right
You living from your first day to your last night
Sometimes you show your ass like
Lint on your clothes
When you froze in
The black light
Dead that
Before you get your head wrapped
Like Badu
We see through your voodoo
Just like Eve's Bayou, you dealing with that black magic
Try to civilize you
Not walk on by you
Like civil-(lies do get you black listed) it'll
Be unlucky for you like a black cat
A panther
Revolution is the answer
That's what we need
Greed plague my people like the cancer
True indeed
Now black people unite, and let's all get down
Now everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
The 8th Light, is gonna shine bright tonight
Everybody hop on the one, the sounds of the two
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
The 8th Light, is gonna shine bright tonight
It's the third eye vision, five side dimension
Equaling up to eight, light shine bright
Lyrics submitted by ButNeverOutgunned
Astronomy (8th Light) Lyrics as written by Dante Smith D Dewgarde
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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