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've gotta do this my way,
gotta make my own sense of this life
You don't have the answers and I don't have the time
Yeah I've got a history but I'm not looking to be saved
You couldn't fucking save me anyway.
I gotta do what I gotta do
To keep from ending up like you
One more submissive fuck who swallowed all the rules
I've got no respect for any law that takes what's mine from birth
I'm a citizen and I punch a clock but I'm fucking human first
Call the authorities
And I'm calling fraud
There are no untouchables
Not one.
Inside every pig there hides a kid whose feet never filled his fathers shoes
A broken child who missed every chance he had to pay his fucking dues
I'm nothing without reason
And there's something
that just isn't right
I created all my own gods,
In the image of my tainted fucking self.
I gotta do what I gotta do
To keep from ending up like you.
One more submissive fuck who swallowed all the rules.
I've got no respect for any law that takes what's mine from birth.
I'm a citizen and I punch a clock but I'm fucking human first.
You wear the face of some high authority,
But underneath it you're rotten.
Just like me.
gotta make my own sense of this life
You don't have the answers and I don't have the time
Yeah I've got a history but I'm not looking to be saved
You couldn't fucking save me anyway.
I gotta do what I gotta do
To keep from ending up like you
One more submissive fuck who swallowed all the rules
I've got no respect for any law that takes what's mine from birth
I'm a citizen and I punch a clock but I'm fucking human first
Call the authorities
And I'm calling fraud
There are no untouchables
Not one.
Inside every pig there hides a kid whose feet never filled his fathers shoes
A broken child who missed every chance he had to pay his fucking dues
I'm nothing without reason
And there's something
that just isn't right
I created all my own gods,
In the image of my tainted fucking self.
I gotta do what I gotta do
To keep from ending up like you.
One more submissive fuck who swallowed all the rules.
I've got no respect for any law that takes what's mine from birth.
I'm a citizen and I punch a clock but I'm fucking human first.
You wear the face of some high authority,
But underneath it you're rotten.
Just like me.
Lyrics submitted by Paraselene
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