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.
Yeah, what's up?
What's going on?
Before we start this next record, I gotta put my shades on so I can feel cool.
You remember that law? When you had to put your shades on to feel cool?
Well it's still the law.
You gotta put your shades on before you can feel cool, know what I'm saying?
I don't put my shades on so I can see what you ain't doing, and you ain't doing nothing.
You ain't doing nothing that I don't do.
Now let's get on with this shit anyway.
Way, way down in the ghetto deep,
The bad-ass pimp stepped on the signifying rapper's feet.
And the rapper said, "Nigga, can't you see you standing on my motherfucking feet?"
The bad-ass pimp said, "Chump, I ain't heard a cocksucking word you said. You say some more, I'm gonna be standing on your motherfucking head."
Yeah, that's what he said.
Everyday when the sun goes down,
The bad-ass pimp come to kick the rapper's ass all over the ghetto town.
But the rapper got wise, started using his wit,
He said, "Man, I'm getting tired of this kick-ass shit."
So early, early, early in the morning the very next day,
The rapper said, "Mr. Pimp! Mr. Pimp! I got something to say!
There's this mean, big bad faggot coming your way.
He talk about you so bad, he turn my hair grey.
Listen to what he say.
Listen to this, mister bad-ass pimp.
This is what the faggot said, he said:
He know your daddy, and he's a faggot. And your mother's a whore.
He said he seen you selling asshole door to door.
Yeah, that's what he said.
Listen to what else he said, mister bad-ass pimp:
He said your granny, she's a dyke. And your other brother, he's a faggot.
And your little sister Lou? She's so low, she sucked the dick of a little maggot.
Yeah, that's he said."
The bad-ass pimp was mad, jumped up in a hell of a rage,
hopped in his caddy, and loaded his 12-gauge.
Caught up with the faggot on 55th and Vine,
said, "You faggot, it's gonna be your ass or mine."
The faggot looked at the pimp and saw fear in the pimp's eyes.
Said, "Motherfucker, you better go fuck with somebody your own damn size."
The pimp made his move, and thought he was fast.
The faggot sidestepped him and kicked him in his ass.
They fought all that night and all the next day.
That faggot kicked his ass in a hell of a way.
Me myself, I don't know how he survived.
He came back to the projects more dead than alive.
And the rapper, staying in another one of them tar-ass project buildings,
He said, "Damn, something smell."
He said, "Mister bad-ass pimp, you look like you been through hell.
As I told one my hoes before you left,
I shoulda kicked your ass my motherfucking self."
What's going on?
Before we start this next record, I gotta put my shades on so I can feel cool.
You remember that law? When you had to put your shades on to feel cool?
Well it's still the law.
You gotta put your shades on before you can feel cool, know what I'm saying?
I don't put my shades on so I can see what you ain't doing, and you ain't doing nothing.
You ain't doing nothing that I don't do.
Now let's get on with this shit anyway.
Way, way down in the ghetto deep,
The bad-ass pimp stepped on the signifying rapper's feet.
And the rapper said, "Nigga, can't you see you standing on my motherfucking feet?"
The bad-ass pimp said, "Chump, I ain't heard a cocksucking word you said. You say some more, I'm gonna be standing on your motherfucking head."
Yeah, that's what he said.
Everyday when the sun goes down,
The bad-ass pimp come to kick the rapper's ass all over the ghetto town.
But the rapper got wise, started using his wit,
He said, "Man, I'm getting tired of this kick-ass shit."
So early, early, early in the morning the very next day,
The rapper said, "Mr. Pimp! Mr. Pimp! I got something to say!
There's this mean, big bad faggot coming your way.
He talk about you so bad, he turn my hair grey.
Listen to what he say.
Listen to this, mister bad-ass pimp.
This is what the faggot said, he said:
He know your daddy, and he's a faggot. And your mother's a whore.
He said he seen you selling asshole door to door.
Yeah, that's what he said.
Listen to what else he said, mister bad-ass pimp:
He said your granny, she's a dyke. And your other brother, he's a faggot.
And your little sister Lou? She's so low, she sucked the dick of a little maggot.
Yeah, that's he said."
The bad-ass pimp was mad, jumped up in a hell of a rage,
hopped in his caddy, and loaded his 12-gauge.
Caught up with the faggot on 55th and Vine,
said, "You faggot, it's gonna be your ass or mine."
The faggot looked at the pimp and saw fear in the pimp's eyes.
Said, "Motherfucker, you better go fuck with somebody your own damn size."
The pimp made his move, and thought he was fast.
The faggot sidestepped him and kicked him in his ass.
They fought all that night and all the next day.
That faggot kicked his ass in a hell of a way.
Me myself, I don't know how he survived.
He came back to the projects more dead than alive.
And the rapper, staying in another one of them tar-ass project buildings,
He said, "Damn, something smell."
He said, "Mister bad-ass pimp, you look like you been through hell.
As I told one my hoes before you left,
I shoulda kicked your ass my motherfucking self."
Lyrics submitted by seventeen
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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,
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