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 gotta sink to learn to swim
These are the rules that they teach and they want you to live
Apologies will never do and I know that way too well
Brought down by somebody else's lack of education
Shouldn't be you that it hurts
But I took all the advice that I could take
Before I thought to give up
I bet you thought I'd give up
And this is what they told me …
These are the lies you gotta believe
They'll give you everything to lose if you disagree
Apologies are over used and I'd be cutting the line way too thin
I'm aware of this bitter behavior
I lost myself somewhere I never wanted to be
Now it's time to start all over - we were held to the light
But we never went blind
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back down kid, back down kid
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back out now, back out now
We are what you say
We are not what you think
Too lonely to survive the loss that was staring back with bloodshot eyes
I almost fell below the ground that I was standing on
Oh no, you said it yourself, you're disappointed
And I'm ashamed and embarrassed to say that
I was a failure, a failure
But not matter how low
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back down kid...back down kid
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back out now
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back down kid...back down kid
Oh Oh Oh...Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back out now ... back out now
We are what you say
These are the rules that they teach and they want you to live
Apologies will never do and I know that way too well
Brought down by somebody else's lack of education
Shouldn't be you that it hurts
But I took all the advice that I could take
Before I thought to give up
I bet you thought I'd give up
And this is what they told me …
These are the lies you gotta believe
They'll give you everything to lose if you disagree
Apologies are over used and I'd be cutting the line way too thin
I'm aware of this bitter behavior
I lost myself somewhere I never wanted to be
Now it's time to start all over - we were held to the light
But we never went blind
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back down kid, back down kid
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back out now, back out now
We are what you say
We are not what you think
Too lonely to survive the loss that was staring back with bloodshot eyes
I almost fell below the ground that I was standing on
Oh no, you said it yourself, you're disappointed
And I'm ashamed and embarrassed to say that
I was a failure, a failure
But not matter how low
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back down kid...back down kid
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back out now
Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back down kid...back down kid
Oh Oh Oh...Oh Oh Oh ... Oh Oh
You can't back out now ... back out now
We are what you say
Lyrics submitted by exacerbating
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