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.
Life's not what you take
It's not about the promises you make
It's not about the friends you might of made or love that is gone
Life is what you give
It's not about the stupid things you did
It's not about the way things could have been it's about moving on
[Chorus]
It's all about you
So every morning that you wake before the first step that you take
Just think it's all what you make it and you'll make it through
This life will leave you stressed out, left out, with your neck out
Ain't nothing changed
Real life, so we deal right, but it feels like,
It's something strange
Wondering, the dumbest things and let everything
Get under our skin
Trouble again, trying to impress, somebody else,
It's fucked in the head
So do you, you'll never make everyone happy, it just won't happen
At the end of the day, when all say is said
You better be ready to go back at em
I learned slow, my verse shows, my growth, my wisdom
If you positive or negative, don't - make – difference not when you living
Cause some of the most successful people on this planet
Will kill themselves, or somebody else
Life they really couldn't manage
Then we got bums, alcoholics, on the streets
With no stress, no where to rest, no where to dress
No where to sleep
And they said, fuck my morals. I'm drinking away my sorrows
I'm living life and I'm happy, I ain't thinking - about tomorrow
Do you
Chorus (twice)
It's all about you
So every morning that you wake before the first step that you take
Just think it's all what you make it and you'll make it through
Life is what it brings
It's not about cars and fancy things
Or hair salons or diamond rings girl so don't you lose no sleep
Life is all about
The things you'll never figure out
It's all about the people you allow and, memories you keep
This here is life,
So tell me, who chooses what's wrong and what's right
Is it what we see, on TV, get a job, raise a family
That's how I was raised, how I was brought up
Get a Wife, a Son and a Daughter
That's how I was taught to be proper
Never thought anyone could get caught up
Then slowly I grew up
And the fairy tale quickly vanished
Realized that life is a b____, and s___, you gotta be able to stand it
And you gotta be able to handle it, the stress or
The pressure, you channel it
And you learn to cope, at the end of your rope
Anyway that you can, with liquor or dope
Or work hard; raise your kids, strip clubs
What ever it is,
Smoke your weed, shoot hoops
What ever you find your happiness through
It's your life, just make sure you know what you want when you go to get it
Keep doing this s___ for you, and not your crew or the dude you trying to impress kid
Life is simple, life is hard, and yea life is fun
So enjoy the things around you
Before your life is done
And do you
Chorus (twice)
It's all about you
So every morning that you wake before the first step that you take
Just think it's all what you make it and you'll make it through
It's not about the promises you make
It's not about the friends you might of made or love that is gone
Life is what you give
It's not about the stupid things you did
It's not about the way things could have been it's about moving on
[Chorus]
It's all about you
So every morning that you wake before the first step that you take
Just think it's all what you make it and you'll make it through
This life will leave you stressed out, left out, with your neck out
Ain't nothing changed
Real life, so we deal right, but it feels like,
It's something strange
Wondering, the dumbest things and let everything
Get under our skin
Trouble again, trying to impress, somebody else,
It's fucked in the head
So do you, you'll never make everyone happy, it just won't happen
At the end of the day, when all say is said
You better be ready to go back at em
I learned slow, my verse shows, my growth, my wisdom
If you positive or negative, don't - make – difference not when you living
Cause some of the most successful people on this planet
Will kill themselves, or somebody else
Life they really couldn't manage
Then we got bums, alcoholics, on the streets
With no stress, no where to rest, no where to dress
No where to sleep
And they said, fuck my morals. I'm drinking away my sorrows
I'm living life and I'm happy, I ain't thinking - about tomorrow
Do you
Chorus (twice)
It's all about you
So every morning that you wake before the first step that you take
Just think it's all what you make it and you'll make it through
Life is what it brings
It's not about cars and fancy things
Or hair salons or diamond rings girl so don't you lose no sleep
Life is all about
The things you'll never figure out
It's all about the people you allow and, memories you keep
This here is life,
So tell me, who chooses what's wrong and what's right
Is it what we see, on TV, get a job, raise a family
That's how I was raised, how I was brought up
Get a Wife, a Son and a Daughter
That's how I was taught to be proper
Never thought anyone could get caught up
Then slowly I grew up
And the fairy tale quickly vanished
Realized that life is a b____, and s___, you gotta be able to stand it
And you gotta be able to handle it, the stress or
The pressure, you channel it
And you learn to cope, at the end of your rope
Anyway that you can, with liquor or dope
Or work hard; raise your kids, strip clubs
What ever it is,
Smoke your weed, shoot hoops
What ever you find your happiness through
It's your life, just make sure you know what you want when you go to get it
Keep doing this s___ for you, and not your crew or the dude you trying to impress kid
Life is simple, life is hard, and yea life is fun
So enjoy the things around you
Before your life is done
And do you
Chorus (twice)
It's all about you
So every morning that you wake before the first step that you take
Just think it's all what you make it and you'll make it through
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