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.
What am I doing behind these iron bars
Never robbed nor killed, never done no one harm
You put me in shackles, you place I in chains
Said I'll never see the outside again
Oh!
Yeah, Yeah
I'm a prisoner locked up for what
Freedom of Speech ain't that all we've got
Wounded pride my head held up high
Rebels for life, we rebel for the right
Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
Oh you crazy mother
Heyo, listen, took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars
Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars
Yo I was caught in the mix with nowhere to go
Rent need to be paid things moving slow
I just want to get a deal and spit this flow
See ain't that the dream to live well and get dough
You looking for a change man there ain't no changing
This money, this gun, this drug exchanging
And if you got seeds that makes you go even harder
If it ain't for them man then why even bother
You must think say man a sprat
Ain't no back and belly rat
Well man a lion, yeah
You must think say man a sprat
Don't play no back and belly rat
Well man a lion, yeah
Man a lion
Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars
Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Wanna take away my freedom wanna take away my life
Lock me up, fi what? likkle sensimilia and a knife
So who a good feed mi youth dem eeh who a go care mi wife
You a gwan like ghetto people n'have no rights
Yow, you better let me out or else we gonna bruk out of here
Ghetto pickney we a go load dem in a truck out of here
You see any Rasta youth and need to puck out a hair
You luck out a here you got to duck out of here
'Cause like a vampire a lot of blood you suck out of here
You tek way every cent and every buck out of here
And lock we up in a yu prison fi wi work out of here
We a go bruk down all the wall and get the fuck out of here
Blaze it!
Never robbed nor killed, never done no one harm
You put me in shackles, you place I in chains
Said I'll never see the outside again
Oh!
Yeah, Yeah
I'm a prisoner locked up for what
Freedom of Speech ain't that all we've got
Wounded pride my head held up high
Rebels for life, we rebel for the right
Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
I'm an angry lion
Let me out, let me out
Oh you crazy mother
Heyo, listen, took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars
Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars
Yo I was caught in the mix with nowhere to go
Rent need to be paid things moving slow
I just want to get a deal and spit this flow
See ain't that the dream to live well and get dough
You looking for a change man there ain't no changing
This money, this gun, this drug exchanging
And if you got seeds that makes you go even harder
If it ain't for them man then why even bother
You must think say man a sprat
Ain't no back and belly rat
Well man a lion, yeah
You must think say man a sprat
Don't play no back and belly rat
Well man a lion, yeah
Man a lion
Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Iron bars
Took my freedom, my honor, my pride
To provide for my family I tried
Gots to prepare, 'cause listen
We's here for the ride
Vision's blocked cause we locked inside
Wanna take away my freedom wanna take away my life
Lock me up, fi what? likkle sensimilia and a knife
So who a good feed mi youth dem eeh who a go care mi wife
You a gwan like ghetto people n'have no rights
Yow, you better let me out or else we gonna bruk out of here
Ghetto pickney we a go load dem in a truck out of here
You see any Rasta youth and need to puck out a hair
You luck out a here you got to duck out of here
'Cause like a vampire a lot of blood you suck out of here
You tek way every cent and every buck out of here
And lock we up in a yu prison fi wi work out of here
We a go bruk down all the wall and get the fuck out of here
Blaze it!
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