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.
Alright
You read common knowledge, stockpile your brain
You get burned in the sun, you get wet in the rain
What they teach you to fix, needs to be broke
I say he who laughs first didn't get the joke
Go on, untap your mind
Quit knocking on mine
An English teacher from Vancouver
She asked me to write something for her students
I wrote knowledge adds, wisdom let slide
She says now really? I wanna tap your mind
Quit knockin' on mine
Walkin' on
Knockin' on mine
Knowledge is power, got your books go read 'em
Wisdom is ignorance; stupidity I call freedom
Knockin' on mine
Get out
Comic books, the Bible, road maps, pornography
Anything you wanna read
Go out and sit in a field sometime
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
...Power got your books go read 'em
Wisdom is ignorance, stupidity, I call freedom
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
You read common knowledge every day.
You're as common as that newspaper you throw away
You get burned in the sun, you get wet in the rain
Won't you ever change
Won't you ever learn
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
Yes sir
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
You read common knowledge, stockpile your brain
You get burned in the sun, you get wet in the rain
What they teach you to fix, needs to be broke
I say he who laughs first didn't get the joke
Go on, untap your mind
Quit knocking on mine
An English teacher from Vancouver
She asked me to write something for her students
I wrote knowledge adds, wisdom let slide
She says now really? I wanna tap your mind
Quit knockin' on mine
Walkin' on
Knockin' on mine
Knowledge is power, got your books go read 'em
Wisdom is ignorance; stupidity I call freedom
Knockin' on mine
Get out
Comic books, the Bible, road maps, pornography
Anything you wanna read
Go out and sit in a field sometime
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
...Power got your books go read 'em
Wisdom is ignorance, stupidity, I call freedom
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
You read common knowledge every day.
You're as common as that newspaper you throw away
You get burned in the sun, you get wet in the rain
Won't you ever change
Won't you ever learn
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
Yes sir
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
Quit knockin' on mine (knockin' on mine)
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Knockin on Mine Lyrics as written by Paul Westerberg
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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The song is a recommendation to be anti-intellectual, to dig life and experience and not be bookish.
Curiously as the first song of 14 songs which was originally supposed to be like a book (the cover is still), here is Paul saying that what you read is often common knowledge, key being such knowledge is common and you did not really need to read it. You get bookish, others read the same books, and u end up being common as that newspaper you throw away.
So please don't bother Paul, knocking on his mine/mind and just let him rock out. Sorta the entire Mats stupid but honest, heart on sleeve wisdom.
In fact 'What they teach you to fix, needs to be broke', people are born to break the mould an not to be moulded by their education.