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.
Think of a number
Between 1 and 3
That's the kind of stupid choice
You're giving me
I'll go and think of any number
Between 1 and 3
And if I don't want 2
You don't get me
If I don't want 2
You don't get me
Yeah, yesterday you said
You had yesterday for sure
And tomorrow when the sun shines
Tomorrow is all yours
But just this once
Give me what I really want
Give me a choice
And give me now
Not tomorrow not when
Give me now now now
Not yesterday not then
I want now now now
Not never not forever
I want now
So go and think of a letter
Between T and V
Yeah, that's the kind of idiot choice
You're giving me
I'll go and think of any letter
Between T and V
And if I don't want U
You don't get me
And if I don't want U
You don't get me
Don't get me
And if I don't want U
You don't get me
And if I don't want U
You don't get me
Yeah yesterday you said
You had yesterday for sure
And tomorrow when the sun shines
Tomorrow is all yours
But just this once
Give me what I really want
Give me a choice
And give me now
Not tomorrow not when
I want now now now
Not yesterday not then
Give me now now now
Not never not forever
I want now
So scissors, paper, stone
We can play it any way you want
Paris, London, Rome
Or in your bedroom back at home
Yeah, scissors, paper, stone
Everything on one last day
Here we go
Ching chang chong
Between 1 and 3
That's the kind of stupid choice
You're giving me
I'll go and think of any number
Between 1 and 3
And if I don't want 2
You don't get me
If I don't want 2
You don't get me
Yeah, yesterday you said
You had yesterday for sure
And tomorrow when the sun shines
Tomorrow is all yours
But just this once
Give me what I really want
Give me a choice
And give me now
Not tomorrow not when
Give me now now now
Not yesterday not then
I want now now now
Not never not forever
I want now
So go and think of a letter
Between T and V
Yeah, that's the kind of idiot choice
You're giving me
I'll go and think of any letter
Between T and V
And if I don't want U
You don't get me
And if I don't want U
You don't get me
Don't get me
And if I don't want U
You don't get me
And if I don't want U
You don't get me
Yeah yesterday you said
You had yesterday for sure
And tomorrow when the sun shines
Tomorrow is all yours
But just this once
Give me what I really want
Give me a choice
And give me now
Not tomorrow not when
I want now now now
Not yesterday not then
Give me now now now
Not never not forever
I want now
So scissors, paper, stone
We can play it any way you want
Paris, London, Rome
Or in your bedroom back at home
Yeah, scissors, paper, stone
Everything on one last day
Here we go
Ching chang chong
Lyrics submitted by Cure.
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This song never got past the demo stage. It would eventually morph into 'Spilt Milk'.
'Spilt Milk' is a song about being stuck in a life with a mortgage, a boring job and a relationship you don't really want to be in. It's about wondering how different life could have been if you had made different choices.
'Ching Chang Chong' is about being in a relationship with a controlling person who gives you very limited options.
The expression 'Ching Chang Chong' is often seen as a culturally insensitive one. An example of that use of the expression is when the journalist Piers Morgan used it to mock how Chinese people speak. The use of the expression is different here. 'Ching Chang Chong' was the original name of the children's game 'Paper, Scissors, Rock' which is referenced in the song.
To note, The Cure had previously referenced the game 'Chinese Whispers' in the album title 'Japanese Whispers'. Like 'Ching Chang Chong' that name is no longer used as it is considered culturally insensitive. 'Chinese Whispers' has become 'the broken telephone'.