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.
Would you leave me alone, my sweet Simone?
If I lay on my back down below on the track
Remember the night, how I'd wade in the water
Be counting the stars and starting me over
They shine your eyes
Gonna make me rain, gonna make you rise
When I'm gone baby, don't you forget it
I did all I did just to get through to heaven
Got no mother, she can't find me
Got no father, he gonna blind me
Little girls might twitch at the way I itch
But when I burn it's a son of a bitch
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, all misery gone
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, all misery gone
Make me, shake me, bleed all over
Going down to the ground in deep black water
Let's ride, suicide
Say what you want but you make it, don't lie
Don't let me down, baby, on a bed of hard thistle
Gonna die when I drown just to have it away
Those lies in my eyes
Push you down in the river till you testify
My mother, she don't know me
And my father, he can't own me
Little girls might twitch at the way I itch
But the way I burn is a son of a bitch
Make me, shake me, deep black water
Gonna run through my pain, gonna make it rain
Baby I'm gone, so don't you forget it
I did all I did just to get through to heaven
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, all misery gone
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, all misery gone
If you could hear me love
I'd tell to you my story
To you and only you
So love that you might save me
I woke up from a dream
I woke up, I was crying
I saw an animal
With eyes like mine on fire
I saw my own true love
She was there selling flowers
Has she forget-me-nots
White lilies or red roses?
And then from far away
Who's that I see come riding?
Upon a pale white horse
Come riding fast as lightning
Oh, if you can hear me love
I'd tell you my story
So that you might save me
So that you might save me
So that you might save me
So that you might save me
If I lay on my back down below on the track
Remember the night, how I'd wade in the water
Be counting the stars and starting me over
They shine your eyes
Gonna make me rain, gonna make you rise
When I'm gone baby, don't you forget it
I did all I did just to get through to heaven
Got no mother, she can't find me
Got no father, he gonna blind me
Little girls might twitch at the way I itch
But when I burn it's a son of a bitch
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, all misery gone
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, all misery gone
Make me, shake me, bleed all over
Going down to the ground in deep black water
Let's ride, suicide
Say what you want but you make it, don't lie
Don't let me down, baby, on a bed of hard thistle
Gonna die when I drown just to have it away
Those lies in my eyes
Push you down in the river till you testify
My mother, she don't know me
And my father, he can't own me
Little girls might twitch at the way I itch
But the way I burn is a son of a bitch
Make me, shake me, deep black water
Gonna run through my pain, gonna make it rain
Baby I'm gone, so don't you forget it
I did all I did just to get through to heaven
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, all misery gone
Hold on, hold on
Hold on, all misery gone
If you could hear me love
I'd tell to you my story
To you and only you
So love that you might save me
I woke up from a dream
I woke up, I was crying
I saw an animal
With eyes like mine on fire
I saw my own true love
She was there selling flowers
Has she forget-me-nots
White lilies or red roses?
And then from far away
Who's that I see come riding?
Upon a pale white horse
Come riding fast as lightning
Oh, if you can hear me love
I'd tell you my story
So that you might save me
So that you might save me
So that you might save me
So that you might save me
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