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.
A drunkard lay on the bar room floor.
He drunk until he couldn't drink no more.
He went to sleep with a troubled brain
And dreamnt he was on a hellbound train
The train, it flew at an awful pace
The brimstone a-burning both hands and face
And worse and worse the road that grew
And faster and faster the engine flew
He blowed the whistle and rung the bell
And the devil says boys, the next stop is hell
And all of the passengers yelled with pain
And begged the devil to stop the train
But the devil laughed at their misery
He hollared and roared and yelled and with glee
You paid your fair with the rest of my load
And you've got to ride to the end of the road
You robbed the weak,
And done wrong to the poor
Turned hungry folks from your door
You laid up gold til your purses bust
You ruined young gals with your beastly lust
You mocked at God in your stubborn pride
You murdered and killed and cheated and lied
You double-crossed partners and cussed and stole
You belong to me, both body and soul
Your bones will burn in the flames that roar
You'll scortch and sizzle from rind to core
Then the bar room rang with an awful scream
As the drunkard awoke from his terrible dream
Down on his knees on the bar room floor
He prayed as he's never had prayed before
His prays and vows, they were in vain
'Cause his sould was doomed for the hellbound train
He drunk until he couldn't drink no more.
He went to sleep with a troubled brain
And dreamnt he was on a hellbound train
The train, it flew at an awful pace
The brimstone a-burning both hands and face
And worse and worse the road that grew
And faster and faster the engine flew
He blowed the whistle and rung the bell
And the devil says boys, the next stop is hell
And all of the passengers yelled with pain
And begged the devil to stop the train
But the devil laughed at their misery
He hollared and roared and yelled and with glee
You paid your fair with the rest of my load
And you've got to ride to the end of the road
You robbed the weak,
And done wrong to the poor
Turned hungry folks from your door
You laid up gold til your purses bust
You ruined young gals with your beastly lust
You mocked at God in your stubborn pride
You murdered and killed and cheated and lied
You double-crossed partners and cussed and stole
You belong to me, both body and soul
Your bones will burn in the flames that roar
You'll scortch and sizzle from rind to core
Then the bar room rang with an awful scream
As the drunkard awoke from his terrible dream
Down on his knees on the bar room floor
He prayed as he's never had prayed before
His prays and vows, they were in vain
'Cause his sould was doomed for the hellbound train
Lyrics submitted by ghastlybonfires
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