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.
Maybe one day we'll be united
And our love won't be divided (ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)
Maybe one day we'll be united (ooh ooh)
And our love won't be divided (oh oh oh)
Maybe one day we'll be united (oh oh yeah)
And our love won't be divided
Maybe one day we'll be united (ooh ooh ooh)
And our love won't be divided (oh oh oh oh oh)
If love a-was a thing a me say money could a-buy
The rich man would a-live a me say poor man would die
If freedom was a thing they would a-keep upon the earth
Happiness a-would abundant, unity would give birth
In a hungry nation, yes you get a hungry people
That is mentally cripple and a kinda always wrong
Gunshot and fire in a-South Africa
And the youth them a-suffer in a-Dominica
Peace! I gotta plea for call
I see too many kids and they simply falling
In the streets, it's strife, a waste of a life
'Cause he died by the bullet or he's stuck with a knife
But yo, it ain't no way to go
You can't kill the next man just to get the dough
We gotta fight tonight but we gotta fight right
Can't fight for the dough, we gotta fight to unite
Maybe one day we'll be united (oh yeah yeah yeah)
And our love won't be divided (ooh ooh yeah yeah)
Maybe one day we'll be united (united)
And our love won't be divided (oh oh oh oh oh oh)
In America the problem take over
Robber shot Peter Tosh in Kingston, Jamaica
Me not joke, me not play, me not just talk
Respect Abu-Baka, respect Mandela
Bob Marley, intelligent Rasta
Singing for world peace is Mr. Stevie Wonder
If you live by the gun a-you will perish by the God
And when Jah-Jah time come in Babylon them have fe run
We need O-N-E L-O-V-E, U-N-I-T-Y, before we all die
But you don't listen, you don't understand
Still kicking the bullshit, tryin' to be the man
Why you wanna go and do your own peace
'Cause we're all rough and we're from the streets
You gotta go against the man with the corporation
Get an education to rebuild the nation
Maybe one day we'll be united (oh yeah yeah yeah)
And our love won't be divided (ooh ooh yeah yeah)
Maybe one day we'll be united (ooh ooh ooh)
And our love won't be divided
Maybe one day we'll be united (united)
And our love won't be divided (ooh ooh yeah yeah)
Maybe one day we'll be united (united)
And our love won't be divided
And our love won't be divided (ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)
Maybe one day we'll be united (ooh ooh)
And our love won't be divided (oh oh oh)
Maybe one day we'll be united (oh oh yeah)
And our love won't be divided
Maybe one day we'll be united (ooh ooh ooh)
And our love won't be divided (oh oh oh oh oh)
If love a-was a thing a me say money could a-buy
The rich man would a-live a me say poor man would die
If freedom was a thing they would a-keep upon the earth
Happiness a-would abundant, unity would give birth
In a hungry nation, yes you get a hungry people
That is mentally cripple and a kinda always wrong
Gunshot and fire in a-South Africa
And the youth them a-suffer in a-Dominica
Peace! I gotta plea for call
I see too many kids and they simply falling
In the streets, it's strife, a waste of a life
'Cause he died by the bullet or he's stuck with a knife
But yo, it ain't no way to go
You can't kill the next man just to get the dough
We gotta fight tonight but we gotta fight right
Can't fight for the dough, we gotta fight to unite
Maybe one day we'll be united (oh yeah yeah yeah)
And our love won't be divided (ooh ooh yeah yeah)
Maybe one day we'll be united (united)
And our love won't be divided (oh oh oh oh oh oh)
In America the problem take over
Robber shot Peter Tosh in Kingston, Jamaica
Me not joke, me not play, me not just talk
Respect Abu-Baka, respect Mandela
Bob Marley, intelligent Rasta
Singing for world peace is Mr. Stevie Wonder
If you live by the gun a-you will perish by the God
And when Jah-Jah time come in Babylon them have fe run
We need O-N-E L-O-V-E, U-N-I-T-Y, before we all die
But you don't listen, you don't understand
Still kicking the bullshit, tryin' to be the man
Why you wanna go and do your own peace
'Cause we're all rough and we're from the streets
You gotta go against the man with the corporation
Get an education to rebuild the nation
Maybe one day we'll be united (oh yeah yeah yeah)
And our love won't be divided (ooh ooh yeah yeah)
Maybe one day we'll be united (ooh ooh ooh)
And our love won't be divided
Maybe one day we'll be united (united)
And our love won't be divided (ooh ooh yeah yeah)
Maybe one day we'll be united (united)
And our love won't be divided
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
United [Radio Edit] Lyrics as written by Alex Christensen Frank Peterson
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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