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 just a-reapin’
the rotten harvest I have sown
I beseech you
don’t judge me by my produce
The air was gettin’ warm
I went outside to plant some corn
When I got outside I felt the heat’
thought ‘what the hell’ I’ll plant some wheat
Then came the rain
so I went inside to rest my brain.
Then came the drought
and dried the water all right out
And I fell upon my knees and prayed
to a god, that I didn’t believe in
And wouldn’t you know it?
Nothin’ happened!
And I found myself a baby bird
with a broken wing
And I nursed him back to an aerial condition
and he taught me how to sing
and we were friends
and we took a walk
down to the alter place
of the pagan god, Moloch
And I sacrificed the only friend
I’ve ever known
But my crops were plentiful
so I grew fat
and died alone..
Now,
I’m fat and dead and lonely
and I owe myself an apology
Like the one
I owe my friends and family…
If you’re from the Midwest
and you think you wanna give the world
your best shot
Don’t go to New York
It makes you poor
It kills your soul
Go to a small town
Hold your ground
cuz the end of the world is goin’ down
I ain’t fuckin’ around
I ain’t fuckin’ around
DON’T FORGET YOUR HELMET!!
I was born in Long Beach, California
Snoop Dogg was my illegitimate father
The next door neighbor’s dog had one eye
I lived in a duplex
shat myself when I was ten months old…
We moved to Seattle
And I went to school.
On the very first day
the Principal came to get me out of class
for being unruly
and I ran away….
Called my mom to pick me up
I saw her from
the playground structure
and I ran away…
And that’s when all the facts get blurry…
Somehow got to Detroit
Got myself a car
and a guitar
umm, yeah…..
Learned all about hustlin’
and women and guns
and drivin’ drunk
and other fun things
Oh yeah!
And somethin’ bout
math and science and history
And it’s funny
Because I only know one thing now
and I can’t imagine how I ever got by
before I knew the thing
I didn’t know before
I knew the thing I didn’t know before
I knew the thing I didn’t know before
I knew the thing I didn’t know before
I knew the thing I didn’t know…..
before I was
fat and dead and lonely.
And I owe myself
this apology
like the one
I owe my friends and family.
If you’re from the Midwest
and you think you wanna give the world
your best shot
Don’t go to New York
It makes you poor
It kills your soul
Go to a small town
Hold your ground
cuz the end of the world is goin’ down
I ain’t fuckin’ around about that, no, no
DON’T FORGET YOUR HELMET!!
I really do believe that the world is endin’
and I don’t if we should help to kill it or defend it
But I know..
the mutha fucka’s gonna blow.
the rotten harvest I have sown
I beseech you
don’t judge me by my produce
The air was gettin’ warm
I went outside to plant some corn
When I got outside I felt the heat’
thought ‘what the hell’ I’ll plant some wheat
Then came the rain
so I went inside to rest my brain.
Then came the drought
and dried the water all right out
And I fell upon my knees and prayed
to a god, that I didn’t believe in
And wouldn’t you know it?
Nothin’ happened!
And I found myself a baby bird
with a broken wing
And I nursed him back to an aerial condition
and he taught me how to sing
and we were friends
and we took a walk
down to the alter place
of the pagan god, Moloch
And I sacrificed the only friend
I’ve ever known
But my crops were plentiful
so I grew fat
and died alone..
Now,
I’m fat and dead and lonely
and I owe myself an apology
Like the one
I owe my friends and family…
If you’re from the Midwest
and you think you wanna give the world
your best shot
Don’t go to New York
It makes you poor
It kills your soul
Go to a small town
Hold your ground
cuz the end of the world is goin’ down
I ain’t fuckin’ around
I ain’t fuckin’ around
DON’T FORGET YOUR HELMET!!
I was born in Long Beach, California
Snoop Dogg was my illegitimate father
The next door neighbor’s dog had one eye
I lived in a duplex
shat myself when I was ten months old…
We moved to Seattle
And I went to school.
On the very first day
the Principal came to get me out of class
for being unruly
and I ran away….
Called my mom to pick me up
I saw her from
the playground structure
and I ran away…
And that’s when all the facts get blurry…
Somehow got to Detroit
Got myself a car
and a guitar
umm, yeah…..
Learned all about hustlin’
and women and guns
and drivin’ drunk
and other fun things
Oh yeah!
And somethin’ bout
math and science and history
And it’s funny
Because I only know one thing now
and I can’t imagine how I ever got by
before I knew the thing
I didn’t know before
I knew the thing I didn’t know before
I knew the thing I didn’t know before
I knew the thing I didn’t know before
I knew the thing I didn’t know…..
before I was
fat and dead and lonely.
And I owe myself
this apology
like the one
I owe my friends and family.
If you’re from the Midwest
and you think you wanna give the world
your best shot
Don’t go to New York
It makes you poor
It kills your soul
Go to a small town
Hold your ground
cuz the end of the world is goin’ down
I ain’t fuckin’ around about that, no, no
DON’T FORGET YOUR HELMET!!
I really do believe that the world is endin’
and I don’t if we should help to kill it or defend it
But I know..
the mutha fucka’s gonna blow.
Lyrics submitted by lizziforfree
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