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 will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
It's quite a spectacle to see us land
In waste receptacles as if we've planned it
We're never skeptical when we get branded
Then disrespectful 'cause we feel abandoned
The height of mediocrity is the challenge
Crawling through the entrails of imbalance
We learn to like to be the heroes
We learn to lie to the brand name Negroes
We learn to laugh to avoid being angry
We learn to kill and learn to go hungry
We learn not to feel, for protection
And we learn to flaunt when we get an erection
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
We're born believing we're greater than circumstance
Infinitely stronger than chance as our first breath is handed
We taste the double standard, the need to wear the mask
And with society's nurturing, the psychic plastic surgery
Begins to take effect as our souls watch astound
Our characters flounder, duplicitous identity
Diction and contradiction have become the skills of assimilation
Razor honed to perfection from the moment of creation
It's gone from identity crisis to survival slingshot to rifle
Sin to revival, try to get looked at but not poked in the eyeball
Warned of our impurities, afraid of insecurities
Real life experts of the artificial, athletes and entertainers
Have become the minstrels on commercials
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
On screen or off we can be rented to perform any feat
And we reflect the images presented by the media's elite
Positive or negative attention is viewed as success
U.S.D.A. African American Beef is seen as progress
We never ask ourselves too many questions
Too much truth in introspection
Maintain the regimentation and avoid self-degradation
We act out all the stereo types, try to use them as decoy
And we become shining examples
Of the system we set out to destroy
'Cause even in the most radical groups you will find
That when you stray from the doctrine, you'll see hard times
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
Being kicked in the mouth or smiling with no teeth
They're both choices, yes, but it's impossible to eat
Uneducated, underdeveloped, undisciplined but mostly unaware
We join the flavor of the month club
We swallow the flavor of the month
Well, holding our crotch was the flavor of the month
Bitch this bitch that was the flavor of the month
Being a thug was the flavor of the month
Then no to drugs was the flavor of the month
Kangol was the flavor of the month
Rope gold was the flavor of the month
Adidas shoes was the flavor of the month
Then bashing Jews was the flavor of the month
Gentrification was the flavor of the month
Isolation was the flavor of the month
My pockets are so empty, I can feel my testicles
'Cause I spent all my money on some plastic African necklaces
And I still don't know what the colors mean
Red, black and green
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
It's quite a spectacle to see us land
In waste receptacles as if we've planned it
We're never skeptical when we get branded
Then disrespectful 'cause we feel abandoned
The height of mediocrity is the challenge
Crawling through the entrails of imbalance
We learn to like to be the heroes
We learn to lie to the brand name Negroes
We learn to laugh to avoid being angry
We learn to kill and learn to go hungry
We learn not to feel, for protection
And we learn to flaunt when we get an erection
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
We're born believing we're greater than circumstance
Infinitely stronger than chance as our first breath is handed
We taste the double standard, the need to wear the mask
And with society's nurturing, the psychic plastic surgery
Begins to take effect as our souls watch astound
Our characters flounder, duplicitous identity
Diction and contradiction have become the skills of assimilation
Razor honed to perfection from the moment of creation
It's gone from identity crisis to survival slingshot to rifle
Sin to revival, try to get looked at but not poked in the eyeball
Warned of our impurities, afraid of insecurities
Real life experts of the artificial, athletes and entertainers
Have become the minstrels on commercials
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
On screen or off we can be rented to perform any feat
And we reflect the images presented by the media's elite
Positive or negative attention is viewed as success
U.S.D.A. African American Beef is seen as progress
We never ask ourselves too many questions
Too much truth in introspection
Maintain the regimentation and avoid self-degradation
We act out all the stereo types, try to use them as decoy
And we become shining examples
Of the system we set out to destroy
'Cause even in the most radical groups you will find
That when you stray from the doctrine, you'll see hard times
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
Being kicked in the mouth or smiling with no teeth
They're both choices, yes, but it's impossible to eat
Uneducated, underdeveloped, undisciplined but mostly unaware
We join the flavor of the month club
We swallow the flavor of the month
Well, holding our crotch was the flavor of the month
Bitch this bitch that was the flavor of the month
Being a thug was the flavor of the month
Then no to drugs was the flavor of the month
Kangol was the flavor of the month
Rope gold was the flavor of the month
Adidas shoes was the flavor of the month
Then bashing Jews was the flavor of the month
Gentrification was the flavor of the month
Isolation was the flavor of the month
My pockets are so empty, I can feel my testicles
'Cause I spent all my money on some plastic African necklaces
And I still don't know what the colors mean
Red, black and green
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
What will we do to become famous and dandy
Just like Amos and Andy
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.