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.
When I came down the dawn poured into me
I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
My stolen gold inside the emperors tomb
Now painting rainbows on my ugly face
I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
But I ascend and serve my feverish need
Within the confines of such chemistry
It's the way I see
Everything I need
It's no way to be
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
My face blew up at such a casual sight
The smattered colors of ecstatic fright
The rush above me to oblivion
Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen
Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
How come it takes some people so damn long
He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
The citrus drawing out the scene in stains
Watch the basin drain
As your life lines wane
And you cant explain
As your friends complain
You've caused all this pain
And you proudly shame
Your whole families name
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
And now I've hit the mark
Stabbing at the dark
And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars
Let this be our little secret
No-one needs to know we're feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up and keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
I shook em up, the walls came crumbling
My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
My stolen gold inside the emperors tomb
Now painting rainbows on my ugly face
I built this cardboard neighborhoods disgrace
But I ascend and serve my feverish need
Within the confines of such chemistry
It's the way I see
Everything I need
It's no way to be
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
My face blew up at such a casual sight
The smattered colors of ecstatic fright
The rush above me to oblivion
Outlining wet sidewalks in halogen
Oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong
How come it takes some people so damn long
He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
The citrus drawing out the scene in stains
Watch the basin drain
As your life lines wane
And you cant explain
As your friends complain
You've caused all this pain
And you proudly shame
Your whole families name
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
And now I've hit the mark
Stabbing at the dark
And I cannot help but ignore the people staring at my scars
Let this be our little secret
No-one needs to know we're feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and feel it in me
Up and up I keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Let this be our little secret
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up and keep on climbing
Higher and higher and higher
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ha i think it's kinda pathetic that people assume a song about feeling good has to be about drugs
i mean maybe it is about drugs i dunno but he doesn't really mention any drug-specific things. I think wanderingaloud is right, I'd say the song is just about improving who you are and feeling damn good about it. And it's in contrast to how most of our culture is taught to get down on themselves and get stuck in the same patterns their whole lives. The little secrets are just that you can be happy and strong and feel good about yourself which is something most of us don't seem to know.
"oh have you ever felt so goddamn strong how come it takes some people so damn long"
great line, basically saying it's not that hard to feel strong if you just work at it