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.
We are at war with the universe, the sky is falling
And the only thing that can save us now
Is sensitivity and compassion
But I know one thing's for sure
I'm gonna get my kicks before it all burns down
Yeah, some say tragedy's hard to get over
But sometimes that tragedy means it's over
Soldier, from the academy league of rollers
I deny being down though they seem to hold us
My shoulders are strong, I prove 'em wrong
I ain't doing nothing but moving on, let the truth be known
But they talked that freedom at us
And didn't even leave a ladder, damn
I work at the corner store
We all got problems, problems
No one's gonna fly down low
No one's gonna save us now
How you feel, you're not alone
We're all just jealous, jealous
We don't reach the sky no more
We just can't overcome, no
You tie my hands, what am I gonna be?
What have I done so bad?
What is my destiny?
You tie my hands, what am I supposed to see?
What have I done so bad? (What have I done?)
What am I gonna be?
I knock on the door, hope isn't home
Fate's not around, the luck's so gone
Don't ask me what's wrong, ask me what's right
And I'ma tell you what's life, and did you know
I lost everything? But I ain't the only one
First came the hurricane, then the morning sun
Excuse me if I'm on one
And don't trip if I light one, I walk a tight one
They try tell me keep my eyes open
My whole city underwater, some people still floating
And they wonder why Black people still voting
'Cause your president still choking
Take away the football team, the basketball team
And all we got is me to represent New Orleans, shit
No governor, no help from the mayor
Just a steady beating heart and a wish and a prayer
Let's pray
These friends, they come and go
But I got family, family
These kids, so fast they grow
They learn so quickly now
That there's nowhere to go
That there's no future, future
Don't make this here so low
And we can't overcome, no
You tie my hands, what am I gonna be? (What am I gonna be?)
What have I done so bad?
What is my destiny? (What have I done?)
You tie my hands, what am I supposed to see? (What have I done? What have I done?)
What have I done so bad?
What am I gonna be? (Yeah)
And if you come from under that water then there's fresh air
Just breathe, baby, God's got a blessing to spare
Yes, I know the process is so much stress
But it's the progress that feels the best
'Cause I came from the projects straight to success and you're next
So try, they can't steal your pride, it's inside
Then find it and keep on grinding
'Cause in every dark cloud, there's a silver lining
I know
Yeah, yeah, yeah
See, right now, we're just riding on love (take that money, make that money)
A shot in the dark (take that money)
We ain't trying to do nothing but hit the heart
We need love
That's all y'all, that's all
You tie my hands, what am I gonna be? (Yeah, born right here in the USA)
What have I done so bad? (But, due to tragedy)
What is my destiny? (Looked on by the whole world)
You tie my hands (as a refugee)
What am I suppose to see? (So accept my emotion)
What have I done so bad? (Do not take it as an offensive gesture)
What am I gonna be?
You tie my hands (it's just the epitome of my soul)
What am I gonna be? (And I must be me)
What have I done so bad? (We got spirit y'all)
What is my destiny? (We got spirit)
You tie my hands (we got soul, y'all)
What am I suppose to see? (We got soul)
What have I done so bad? (They don't want us to see)
What am I gonna be? (But we already know)
And the only thing that can save us now
Is sensitivity and compassion
But I know one thing's for sure
I'm gonna get my kicks before it all burns down
Yeah, some say tragedy's hard to get over
But sometimes that tragedy means it's over
Soldier, from the academy league of rollers
I deny being down though they seem to hold us
My shoulders are strong, I prove 'em wrong
I ain't doing nothing but moving on, let the truth be known
But they talked that freedom at us
And didn't even leave a ladder, damn
I work at the corner store
We all got problems, problems
No one's gonna fly down low
No one's gonna save us now
How you feel, you're not alone
We're all just jealous, jealous
We don't reach the sky no more
We just can't overcome, no
You tie my hands, what am I gonna be?
What have I done so bad?
What is my destiny?
You tie my hands, what am I supposed to see?
What have I done so bad? (What have I done?)
What am I gonna be?
I knock on the door, hope isn't home
Fate's not around, the luck's so gone
Don't ask me what's wrong, ask me what's right
And I'ma tell you what's life, and did you know
I lost everything? But I ain't the only one
First came the hurricane, then the morning sun
Excuse me if I'm on one
And don't trip if I light one, I walk a tight one
They try tell me keep my eyes open
My whole city underwater, some people still floating
And they wonder why Black people still voting
'Cause your president still choking
Take away the football team, the basketball team
And all we got is me to represent New Orleans, shit
No governor, no help from the mayor
Just a steady beating heart and a wish and a prayer
Let's pray
These friends, they come and go
But I got family, family
These kids, so fast they grow
They learn so quickly now
That there's nowhere to go
That there's no future, future
Don't make this here so low
And we can't overcome, no
You tie my hands, what am I gonna be? (What am I gonna be?)
What have I done so bad?
What is my destiny? (What have I done?)
You tie my hands, what am I supposed to see? (What have I done? What have I done?)
What have I done so bad?
What am I gonna be? (Yeah)
And if you come from under that water then there's fresh air
Just breathe, baby, God's got a blessing to spare
Yes, I know the process is so much stress
But it's the progress that feels the best
'Cause I came from the projects straight to success and you're next
So try, they can't steal your pride, it's inside
Then find it and keep on grinding
'Cause in every dark cloud, there's a silver lining
I know
Yeah, yeah, yeah
See, right now, we're just riding on love (take that money, make that money)
A shot in the dark (take that money)
We ain't trying to do nothing but hit the heart
We need love
That's all y'all, that's all
You tie my hands, what am I gonna be? (Yeah, born right here in the USA)
What have I done so bad? (But, due to tragedy)
What is my destiny? (Looked on by the whole world)
You tie my hands (as a refugee)
What am I suppose to see? (So accept my emotion)
What have I done so bad? (Do not take it as an offensive gesture)
What am I gonna be?
You tie my hands (it's just the epitome of my soul)
What am I gonna be? (And I must be me)
What have I done so bad? (We got spirit y'all)
What is my destiny? (We got spirit)
You tie my hands (we got soul, y'all)
What am I suppose to see? (We got soul)
What have I done so bad? (They don't want us to see)
What am I gonna be? (But we already know)
Lyrics submitted by halifaxer12
Tie My Hands Lyrics as written by Robin Thicke Dwayne Carter
Lyrics © Regard Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"Some say tragedy is hard to get over But some time that tragedy means its over, soulja"
The deepest line on tha carter III. He's referring to the fact that only 1/3 of low income housing that was available pre-Katrina in New Orleans will be rebuilt. Huge numbers of New Orleaneans will have to move away or become homeless because of gentrification.
Basically, Wayne is saying that things are looking grim for the lower-class population in post-Katrina New Orleans. The poor people of New Orleans aren't just dealing with all the innocent people who died; they are fighting to stay in the land they've lived in their whole life.
Love this song... even though i'm the type of person who hears the overall sound of the music first (played in band for 10 years), when you get past that, the lyrics are absolutely sick awesome. Good shit.
this is my favorite song on tha carter 3
where it says "???" Robin Thicke says: "who was gon' fight alone"
I feel like he says, "no one's gon' fly that low"
Where it says "???", Robin Thicke is saying "No one's gon fly down low" as in there is no one to rescue you when you've hit rock bottom. Not only that, it matches up perfectly with the next line of the lyrics, "No one's gon save us now".
I know this song was meant for katrina but it means so much more to me last year i lost my best friend to a gun shoot to the head. I never listened to lil wayne nothing but rock but this was my friends hero so i bought his cd and heard this song. its helped me not give up cause every time i hear it i think my friend and how he fought for what he belived in and it gives me hope that mabey this world anit so bad after all Right now we just riding on love And shining dark, we aint tryin do nothing be at the heart We need love, that's all now
This song is deff about Katrina. Love this song. But im amazed w/ the chorus, it refers to slavery. We all know that the response to Katrina was outragously slow. Katrina was planed to hit Florida though, in 3 days it changed course for Louisiana. How can a plan be made that fast? Naygon did not evacuate w/ the buses, Blanco did not send the Guard soon enough, and Bush and FEMA were even further behind. The cause of the slow response was politics, which involves $$ not race.(We can assume)