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.
You think I'm pretty
Without any make-up on
You think I'm funny
When I tell the punch line wrong
I know you get me
So I'll let my walls come down, down
Before you met me
I was alright
But things were kinda heavy
You brought me to life
Now every February
You'll be my Valentine, Valentine
Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever
You make me feel like I'm living a, teenage, dream
The way you turn me on
I, can't, sleep
Let's run away
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
My, heart, stops
When you look at me
Just, one, touch
Now baby I believe
This, is, real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
We drove to Cali
And got drunk on the beach
Got a motel and
Built a fort out of sheets
I finally found you
My missing puzzle piece
I'm complete
Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever
You make me feel like I'm living a, teenage, dream
The way you turn me on
I, can't, sleep
Let's runaway
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
My, heart, stops
When you look at me
Just, one, touch
Now baby I believe
This, is, real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
I'ma get your heart racing
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
Let you put your hands on me
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
You, make, me feel like I'm living a, teenage, dream
The way you turn me on
I, can't, sleep
Let's runaway
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
My, heart, stops
When you look at me
Just one touch
Now baby I believe
This, is, real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
I'ma get your heart racing
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
Let you put your hands on me
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight (tonight, tonight, tonight)
Without any make-up on
You think I'm funny
When I tell the punch line wrong
I know you get me
So I'll let my walls come down, down
Before you met me
I was alright
But things were kinda heavy
You brought me to life
Now every February
You'll be my Valentine, Valentine
Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever
You make me feel like I'm living a, teenage, dream
The way you turn me on
I, can't, sleep
Let's run away
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
My, heart, stops
When you look at me
Just, one, touch
Now baby I believe
This, is, real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
We drove to Cali
And got drunk on the beach
Got a motel and
Built a fort out of sheets
I finally found you
My missing puzzle piece
I'm complete
Let's go all the way tonight
No regrets, just love
We can dance until we die
You and I
We'll be young forever
You make me feel like I'm living a, teenage, dream
The way you turn me on
I, can't, sleep
Let's runaway
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
My, heart, stops
When you look at me
Just, one, touch
Now baby I believe
This, is, real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
I'ma get your heart racing
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
Let you put your hands on me
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
You, make, me feel like I'm living a, teenage, dream
The way you turn me on
I, can't, sleep
Let's runaway
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
My, heart, stops
When you look at me
Just one touch
Now baby I believe
This, is, real
So take a chance
And don't ever look back
Don't ever look back
I'ma get your heart racing
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight
Let you put your hands on me
In my skin-tight jeans
Be your teenage dream tonight (tonight, tonight, tonight)
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Ok, I'm a sixteen year old girl and don't usually like listening to pop, but I really love this song. It has never once crossed my mind after listening to this to go out and have sex with the first person I fall in love with, because I'm smarter than that and I know the consequences. Teenagers these days aren't that stupid to think 'Oh, thanks Katy, I'll go and wreck my life now thanks to this song! YAAAYYYY'. Seriously? And if you're going to argue that younger audiences will hear it and think that at age 11 etc.. you're wrong. My little cousin is eleven and when she heard the song, I asked her what she thought about the line 'Let's go all the way tonight' and she though it was about literally going somewhere. Some teens are smart and some are naiive. I notice no-one even honed in on the line 'Let's run away and don't ever look back'. That could in (most of) your eyes be encouragment to run away and leave home, but you all concentrate on sex. Well done. Why can't we just enjoy a song these days without it having to have a life-wrecking message apparently hidden in it? And sorry about the length of this (air quotes-rant) people, some of you didn't deserve to read this :) And now the haters....
Now, I really hope that people don't actually go out and do what they hear in songs. It would be a horrible world if that happened. Doesn't change what the song is about, though, and doesn't make it right. I also am really glad that your 11 year old cousin interpreted that line that way. Call me a Katy Perry hater if you want. She's given me no reason to respect her and has yet to prove to me that she isn't a slut.
Then why even BOTHER commenting on here? That's your opinion, and this is hers/ours, and no one can change that. shrugs It's perfectly fine to speak your mind, but if you're just gonna keep arguing again and again and again, now that's just stupid. IT'S JUST A SONG. ONE. FREAKING. LITTLE. SONG. SERIOUSLY, there are even WORST songs out there, believe me, so GET. OVER. IT.
I have an 11 year old sister and she knew exactly what 'Let's go all the way' line meant. Kids are getting more and more mature these days and they have ways of knowing things they normally shouldn't. I went to her school a few years back and I heard some 3rd-4th graders making innuendos and sexual insults about each other.<br /> I myself knew the meaning of sex at 11, not because I grew up in a bad household or anything, I just knew because I was too smart for my age.