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've got to walk that lonesome valley
Well, you gotta go by yourself
Well, ain't nobody gonna go there for you
You know, you gotta go
You know, gotta go there all by yourself
Now mother walked that lonesome valley
Now mother walked, she walked it, walked by herself
Oh, ain't nobody else could ever walk it for her
She had to walk it
She had to walk it by herself
Yeah, you've got to walk that lonesome valley
You gotta, gotta go there by yourself
Ain't nobody else to go there for you
Well, you gotta go, oh, there by yourself
Well, now father walked that lonesome valley
Now father walked it, he walked it by himself
Ain't nobody else could walk it for him
Well, he had to walk it
He had to walk it by himself
Well, you've got to walk that lonesome valley
Well, you gotta go there by yourself
Ain't nobody else don't wanna go there with you
Oh, you know you gotta go by yourself
Well, John was a Baptist
Now he was, he was a Jew
He wrote that holy, holy Bible
The Bible tells us
That, that he was a preacher too
Now you know you've got to walk that lonesome valley
Well, you know you gotta go there by yourself
Ain't nobody else gonna go there with you
Now you know you gotta walk there all by yourself
Well, you've got to walk that lonesome valley
Well, you know you gotta go there by yourself
Well, ain't nobody else are gonna go there with you
You know you gotta go there by yourself, by yourself
Well, you gotta go by yourself
Well, ain't nobody gonna go there for you
You know, you gotta go
You know, gotta go there all by yourself
Now mother walked that lonesome valley
Now mother walked, she walked it, walked by herself
Oh, ain't nobody else could ever walk it for her
She had to walk it
She had to walk it by herself
Yeah, you've got to walk that lonesome valley
You gotta, gotta go there by yourself
Ain't nobody else to go there for you
Well, you gotta go, oh, there by yourself
Well, now father walked that lonesome valley
Now father walked it, he walked it by himself
Ain't nobody else could walk it for him
Well, he had to walk it
He had to walk it by himself
Well, you've got to walk that lonesome valley
Well, you gotta go there by yourself
Ain't nobody else don't wanna go there with you
Oh, you know you gotta go by yourself
Well, John was a Baptist
Now he was, he was a Jew
He wrote that holy, holy Bible
The Bible tells us
That, that he was a preacher too
Now you know you've got to walk that lonesome valley
Well, you know you gotta go there by yourself
Ain't nobody else gonna go there with you
Now you know you gotta walk there all by yourself
Well, you've got to walk that lonesome valley
Well, you know you gotta go there by yourself
Well, ain't nobody else are gonna go there with you
You know you gotta go there by yourself, by yourself
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Jesus Walked That Lonesome Valley Lyrics as written by Traditional
Lyrics © Public Domain
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