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.
"Man I worked for one of the biggest companies in New York City
He didn't own his own company, white man owned it, so they owned him
Nobody owns me though"
(Your gangster is not defined)
Your gangster is not defined by how low your jeans fall by your waist
But more how your genes stand up to their expectations
"Never forgetting where you came from"
(Your gangster, your gangster)
Your gangster is not defined by how many rocks are in your watch
But more, how many rocks you move while on your watch
(Gangsters, hustlers, republicans, democrats, pimps and hoes)
Conservatives, labor, the seller, the buyer, the product, the producer
"See you are what you are in this world"
The gangster is absorbed and adored by those that don't understand the laws that govern gangsterment
(Gangsterment, gangsterment)
Gangsterment allows you to make up your own laws and create brand new words
Gangster mentality
(Gangster mentality, an American way created by the white
Mastered by the black, and absorbed by the fiends, taxed by the governmentality, charted by Forbes
If you believe in Jay-Z then you too can be a gangster)
Then you too can be a gangster by any means necessary
By owning that dream, I mean it's a long walk to freedom but
While deep, deep, deep inside the bush
(The war on terror screams, damn it feels good)
Damn it feels good to be a gangster
(To be a gangster, swagger is not a must, it's a liability, a cliche, a bad suit
Cut the bullshit, you know if it wasn't for this, there would be no that)
Which we call, the American Gangster
He didn't own his own company, white man owned it, so they owned him
Nobody owns me though"
(Your gangster is not defined)
Your gangster is not defined by how low your jeans fall by your waist
But more how your genes stand up to their expectations
"Never forgetting where you came from"
(Your gangster, your gangster)
Your gangster is not defined by how many rocks are in your watch
But more, how many rocks you move while on your watch
(Gangsters, hustlers, republicans, democrats, pimps and hoes)
Conservatives, labor, the seller, the buyer, the product, the producer
"See you are what you are in this world"
The gangster is absorbed and adored by those that don't understand the laws that govern gangsterment
(Gangsterment, gangsterment)
Gangsterment allows you to make up your own laws and create brand new words
Gangster mentality
(Gangster mentality, an American way created by the white
Mastered by the black, and absorbed by the fiends, taxed by the governmentality, charted by Forbes
If you believe in Jay-Z then you too can be a gangster)
Then you too can be a gangster by any means necessary
By owning that dream, I mean it's a long walk to freedom but
While deep, deep, deep inside the bush
(The war on terror screams, damn it feels good)
Damn it feels good to be a gangster
(To be a gangster, swagger is not a must, it's a liability, a cliche, a bad suit
Cut the bullshit, you know if it wasn't for this, there would be no that)
Which we call, the American Gangster
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Intro Lyrics as written by Idris A. Elba Hector Luis Delgado
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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