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.
Tell me a story, Uncle Stak.
What you want me to tell you a story about?
About bad guys and stuff.
OK, that should be easy.
Check check
Now I was, once in the mix with some phony homies
Who turned they, backs on me when I needed em most
And even though they my enemies, I'm keepin' em close
Cause I can, either sink em or keep em afloat
A while the ship jumpers go searching for life preservers
I'm a stay here and try and repair the holes in my ship
Tighten the lose boards in the home that I built
I did this by myself, I didn't never need your help
Dudes are dirty, they'll try to fuck ya gal
Naw dog, you got it all wrong, I'm ya pal
Put it on his kids lives, lookin' you in the eye
Knowin' the whole time, he tellin' a fuckin' lie
My go-to guy, I could depend on you
Only people I could get me were friends like you
I know everybody out there can relate to stak,
If they got stab wounds all up and down they back
I do it all by myself
I don't need nobody else
And I'm a do fine without your help
I'm a do it all by myself
Some people told me to talk to ya
Tell you don't go
I fucked up, but you should come home, though
I just couldn't fix my mouth to pronounce those syllables
While I was thinking: "Why postpone the inevitable?"
If you goin' leave me, go on leave me now
There you go, baby
Kick me while I'm down
Yeah I got some issues I need to figure out
But I know one thing without a doubt
I can do this alone
All on my own, I'm grown
I gotta keep on writin' songs
Get money
And maybe one day find somebody that really loves me
Stands beside me through anything
Loves my when it's sunny, the same as when it's raining
The life of Stak Mak ain't always entertaining
Would you love me if I was slanging grams on the track?
That's love and anything less than that, I'd rather be
All by myself
I don't need nobody else
And I'm a do fine without your help
I'm a do it all by myself, yeah
Some said I was a dreamer, others told me I was stupid
I've been described as difficult, some even called me foolish
I've always had such a passion for music
There was no tellin' me I wasn't destine to do this
I didn't get where I'm at by makin' excuses
Cryin' cause you didn't deal me no aces and deuces
I've had my heart broken and been stabbed in the back
Career endin' injuries that didn't stop Stak
Rhyme after rhyme
Time and time again
It ain't all shinin' and diamonds
A lot of time, a lot of grindin'
A lot of beers spill in my environment
I always felt so empty surrounded by people
Felt like it was just me, you know what I mean?
A lot of work went into makin' this happen
Without my people I couldn't have made it rappin'
Because I couldn't have done it
All by myself
I needed everybody else
Wouldn'ta got done without your help
I couldn'ta done it all by myself
What you want me to tell you a story about?
About bad guys and stuff.
OK, that should be easy.
Check check
Now I was, once in the mix with some phony homies
Who turned they, backs on me when I needed em most
And even though they my enemies, I'm keepin' em close
Cause I can, either sink em or keep em afloat
A while the ship jumpers go searching for life preservers
I'm a stay here and try and repair the holes in my ship
Tighten the lose boards in the home that I built
I did this by myself, I didn't never need your help
Dudes are dirty, they'll try to fuck ya gal
Naw dog, you got it all wrong, I'm ya pal
Put it on his kids lives, lookin' you in the eye
Knowin' the whole time, he tellin' a fuckin' lie
My go-to guy, I could depend on you
Only people I could get me were friends like you
I know everybody out there can relate to stak,
If they got stab wounds all up and down they back
I do it all by myself
I don't need nobody else
And I'm a do fine without your help
I'm a do it all by myself
Some people told me to talk to ya
Tell you don't go
I fucked up, but you should come home, though
I just couldn't fix my mouth to pronounce those syllables
While I was thinking: "Why postpone the inevitable?"
If you goin' leave me, go on leave me now
There you go, baby
Kick me while I'm down
Yeah I got some issues I need to figure out
But I know one thing without a doubt
I can do this alone
All on my own, I'm grown
I gotta keep on writin' songs
Get money
And maybe one day find somebody that really loves me
Stands beside me through anything
Loves my when it's sunny, the same as when it's raining
The life of Stak Mak ain't always entertaining
Would you love me if I was slanging grams on the track?
That's love and anything less than that, I'd rather be
All by myself
I don't need nobody else
And I'm a do fine without your help
I'm a do it all by myself, yeah
Some said I was a dreamer, others told me I was stupid
I've been described as difficult, some even called me foolish
I've always had such a passion for music
There was no tellin' me I wasn't destine to do this
I didn't get where I'm at by makin' excuses
Cryin' cause you didn't deal me no aces and deuces
I've had my heart broken and been stabbed in the back
Career endin' injuries that didn't stop Stak
Rhyme after rhyme
Time and time again
It ain't all shinin' and diamonds
A lot of time, a lot of grindin'
A lot of beers spill in my environment
I always felt so empty surrounded by people
Felt like it was just me, you know what I mean?
A lot of work went into makin' this happen
Without my people I couldn't have made it rappin'
Because I couldn't have done it
All by myself
I needed everybody else
Wouldn'ta got done without your help
I couldn'ta done it all by myself
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by mydreamquest
All by Myself Lyrics as written by William Lee Conley Broonzy
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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There's nothin' to interpret here. What makes Haystak special is his words are "what you see is what you get." Love the man.