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.
I'm sick of blowing all this smoke out
Trying hard to feel doubt
My book dropped to the ground
At the part where the frontiers are all pulled down
But they couldn't and they wouldn't have
They couldn't and they shouldn't have
But they could and they would have
I inherited a nature
In a language all worn out
And wallowed by the windows
At a rambling house at the edge of
What I couldn't have
I couldn't and I shouldn't have
I could and I should have
Someday you'll find a heaven
Full of the guilt and freedom
Of somewhere younger than America
Bordering what we can hope to have
Through the north woods
East out of this slow motion town
Through the willows and the aspens
Cos you've been weighed down
Full of what
You couldn't have
You couldn't and you shouldn't have
You could and you should have
Someday you'll find a heaven
Full of the guilt and freedom
Of somewhere younger than America
Bordering what we can hope
And from the first edition
Of East of Eden
You find a version of America
Born in what we can hope to have
Someday you'll find a heaven
Full of the guilt and freedom
Of somewhere younger than America
Bordering what we can hope
Trying hard to feel doubt
My book dropped to the ground
At the part where the frontiers are all pulled down
But they couldn't and they wouldn't have
They couldn't and they shouldn't have
But they could and they would have
I inherited a nature
In a language all worn out
And wallowed by the windows
At a rambling house at the edge of
What I couldn't have
I couldn't and I shouldn't have
I could and I should have
Someday you'll find a heaven
Full of the guilt and freedom
Of somewhere younger than America
Bordering what we can hope to have
Through the north woods
East out of this slow motion town
Through the willows and the aspens
Cos you've been weighed down
Full of what
You couldn't have
You couldn't and you shouldn't have
You could and you should have
Someday you'll find a heaven
Full of the guilt and freedom
Of somewhere younger than America
Bordering what we can hope
And from the first edition
Of East of Eden
You find a version of America
Born in what we can hope to have
Someday you'll find a heaven
Full of the guilt and freedom
Of somewhere younger than America
Bordering what we can hope
Lyrics submitted by RacingRat
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