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.
Owww!
Get on down [x3]
[Erick Sermon]
Well, it's the E wit the juice, I'm down to get loose
Strapped in black wit the nine by the boots
Hardcore funk that make ya want to pump a chump
My posse's thick so I will never get jumped
The slayer, a beast from the east, I'm psycho
If I had a glove, I would be Bad as Michael
Some say, yo, I sound rugged
Pack wit the ultimate rap wit the Power like Snap
A.K.A. the Mic Wrecker
A rap star wit the boomin style, black as tar
Smokin, the E's no jokin, so don't trip or flip
And make a hit, so bust it
Some ain't feel the way I do when I get wreck
No half steppin, I kick back like a weapon
On the microphone, I delight
And groovy, a California quake couldn't move me
Get on down [x4]
It's going down [x2]
[PMD]
No lights, no camera, but lots of action
No moonwalkin backwards, kid, like Michael Jackson
Strictly funk flows and steel toed Timb boots to troop
State to state, stage to stage, as I clock loot
Black Asiatic, rapper fanatic, automatic
Black nine mil is what I pack so kill the static
EPMD quench the sound of thumps underground
Ya stupid boy, no props here, you catch a beatdown
The Squad still in effect, no record skippin
Ya stupid boy, keep the track, still bullshittin
Down wit the rap pack, still grabbin my bozack
Here's a ticket kid to ride the Jim like Amtrak
Got mad skills, hi-tech, been known to snap necks
From eighty-seven to ninety-two, fourth cassette
But now I'm Swayze, ghost, the rap host
Who rip shows, from coast to coast
Get on down [x4]
It's going down [x2]
[Erick Sermon, PMD]
Yea, back to the picture, the scene
It's me Erick Sermon, my M-16
Just in case, ya know, a fight broke out
I can just chill, pull out the smoke out
One, no grill, no charcoal, no fluid
Act like Bo Jackson, Nike, and Just Do It
If there's a problem, the Hit Squad rolls mad deep
So I can rest my head and get some sleep
While the E-Double, takes a nap, no time to slack
It's my turn to guard the fort, ready for combat
Guns and violence, that we don't promote
Just takin what's ours kid, chill or smell the gunsmoke
As I pull out, squeezin like Mr. Charmin
Destroyin posses of demo tapes like Agent Orange
So chill kid and act like you know
Peace from the MD a.k.a. Slow Flow
It's going down [x4]
Get on down...
Get on down [x3]
[Erick Sermon]
Well, it's the E wit the juice, I'm down to get loose
Strapped in black wit the nine by the boots
Hardcore funk that make ya want to pump a chump
My posse's thick so I will never get jumped
The slayer, a beast from the east, I'm psycho
If I had a glove, I would be Bad as Michael
Some say, yo, I sound rugged
Pack wit the ultimate rap wit the Power like Snap
A.K.A. the Mic Wrecker
A rap star wit the boomin style, black as tar
Smokin, the E's no jokin, so don't trip or flip
And make a hit, so bust it
Some ain't feel the way I do when I get wreck
No half steppin, I kick back like a weapon
On the microphone, I delight
And groovy, a California quake couldn't move me
Get on down [x4]
It's going down [x2]
[PMD]
No lights, no camera, but lots of action
No moonwalkin backwards, kid, like Michael Jackson
Strictly funk flows and steel toed Timb boots to troop
State to state, stage to stage, as I clock loot
Black Asiatic, rapper fanatic, automatic
Black nine mil is what I pack so kill the static
EPMD quench the sound of thumps underground
Ya stupid boy, no props here, you catch a beatdown
The Squad still in effect, no record skippin
Ya stupid boy, keep the track, still bullshittin
Down wit the rap pack, still grabbin my bozack
Here's a ticket kid to ride the Jim like Amtrak
Got mad skills, hi-tech, been known to snap necks
From eighty-seven to ninety-two, fourth cassette
But now I'm Swayze, ghost, the rap host
Who rip shows, from coast to coast
Get on down [x4]
It's going down [x2]
[Erick Sermon, PMD]
Yea, back to the picture, the scene
It's me Erick Sermon, my M-16
Just in case, ya know, a fight broke out
I can just chill, pull out the smoke out
One, no grill, no charcoal, no fluid
Act like Bo Jackson, Nike, and Just Do It
If there's a problem, the Hit Squad rolls mad deep
So I can rest my head and get some sleep
While the E-Double, takes a nap, no time to slack
It's my turn to guard the fort, ready for combat
Guns and violence, that we don't promote
Just takin what's ours kid, chill or smell the gunsmoke
As I pull out, squeezin like Mr. Charmin
Destroyin posses of demo tapes like Agent Orange
So chill kid and act like you know
Peace from the MD a.k.a. Slow Flow
It's going down [x4]
Get on down...
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
It's Going Down Lyrics as written by Erick S Sermon Arthur Ross
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.