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.
Fran Verian's grandmonther caught a letter from Heaven
saying that the children of her children's generation would be devils walking the Earth.
And when I hear this it somehow feels right.
It feels familiar.
Like the ghost story about the traveling young couple
who break down near a town where a lunatic is on the loose.
Boy runs for help, remember?
Girl hides, covers up on the floorboard.
An hour later there is a single knock on the car top.
And then another, steady, all night long.
And when day breaks girl finds boy
hanging upside down where the wind blows
knockin his knuckles on the window.
And in every dream I might have heard that ghost story.
Her words barge in and out of me now
but I don't know if that's twice a day or once a week
because each time still feels like the first.
Devils, she called us.
Waling the earth.
And when I hear this I can't move
And I can't breathe
cause it feels so much like ghost stories and bad dreams.
Makes me desperate to hold the hand of Fran Verian's grandmother.
Not as hard as I'd like to.
I'd keep it calm so I don't seem desperate
but I do ya'll
I get so desperate
Desperate to know if she caught a second letter
saying anything from anywhere up above
that could have might of have maybe mentioned others
Not devils
but Others
with halos shaped like roller coasters you'd
stand in line to ride twice
Others who don't know how to tell you and still remain humble
And it's been a long since anyone has called them beautiful
and it's been even longer since they heard they were bright
but Frannie's grandma doesn't remember catchin any other letters
just the one saying that the children of her children's generation
would be devils walking the earth
And when I hear this ma, it hurts
hard, from my chest
like the dream with the fear of the man
forever his fattness all hate
he straddles like whispers my stomach and grins trough my face
the weight of his head so blood red rigged up crusted and thick
spit eyes full out like the chokehold
teeth split ears twisted all dark deaf now goddamnit
would you keep it still?
And I do ya'll
I get scared so still it feels like statues and wind
left in a garden behind some old white house in a dead wheat field
where if anyone would just yell mercy maybe these lungs would finally fill
but Fran Verian's grandmother caught a letter from Heaven
saying that the children of her children's generation would be devils walking the earth
and as I gasp and pull for a full breath of air
like air is the only way out
Her words barge through me again
As if somehow
they're true
saying that the children of her children's generation would be devils walking the Earth.
And when I hear this it somehow feels right.
It feels familiar.
Like the ghost story about the traveling young couple
who break down near a town where a lunatic is on the loose.
Boy runs for help, remember?
Girl hides, covers up on the floorboard.
An hour later there is a single knock on the car top.
And then another, steady, all night long.
And when day breaks girl finds boy
hanging upside down where the wind blows
knockin his knuckles on the window.
And in every dream I might have heard that ghost story.
Her words barge in and out of me now
but I don't know if that's twice a day or once a week
because each time still feels like the first.
Devils, she called us.
Waling the earth.
And when I hear this I can't move
And I can't breathe
cause it feels so much like ghost stories and bad dreams.
Makes me desperate to hold the hand of Fran Verian's grandmother.
Not as hard as I'd like to.
I'd keep it calm so I don't seem desperate
but I do ya'll
I get so desperate
Desperate to know if she caught a second letter
saying anything from anywhere up above
that could have might of have maybe mentioned others
Not devils
but Others
with halos shaped like roller coasters you'd
stand in line to ride twice
Others who don't know how to tell you and still remain humble
And it's been a long since anyone has called them beautiful
and it's been even longer since they heard they were bright
but Frannie's grandma doesn't remember catchin any other letters
just the one saying that the children of her children's generation
would be devils walking the earth
And when I hear this ma, it hurts
hard, from my chest
like the dream with the fear of the man
forever his fattness all hate
he straddles like whispers my stomach and grins trough my face
the weight of his head so blood red rigged up crusted and thick
spit eyes full out like the chokehold
teeth split ears twisted all dark deaf now goddamnit
would you keep it still?
And I do ya'll
I get scared so still it feels like statues and wind
left in a garden behind some old white house in a dead wheat field
where if anyone would just yell mercy maybe these lungs would finally fill
but Fran Verian's grandmother caught a letter from Heaven
saying that the children of her children's generation would be devils walking the earth
and as I gasp and pull for a full breath of air
like air is the only way out
Her words barge through me again
As if somehow
they're true
Lyrics submitted by cybizzorg
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