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.
"Thanks for the wild turkey
And the passenger pigeons
Destined to be shat out
Through wholesome American guts
Thanks for a continent to despoil and poison
Thanks for Indians
To provide a modicum of challenge and danger
Thanks for vast herds of bison
To kill and skin and leaving
The carcasses to rot
Thanks for the bounties on wolves and coyotes
Thanks for the American Dream
To vulgarize and falsify
Until the bare lies shine through
Thanks for the KKK
For the nigga-killing lawmen
Feeling their notches
For decent, church-going women
With their mean, pinched, bitter, evil faces
Thanks for "Kill a Queer for Christ" stickers
Thanks for the laboratory AIDS
Thanks for the prohibition and
The war against drugs
Thanks for a country where nobody's allowed
To mind their own business
Thanks to a nation of finks
Yes, thanks for all the memories
All right Let's see your arms
You always were a headache and
You always were a bore
Thanks for the last and the greatest betrayal
Of the last and the greatest of human dreams"
What do you see? A big pile of nothing
What do you want in a country like that?
What do you see in a country like that?
What are you doin' in a country like that?
I got no answers
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks, nothing
Well, what do you feel?
Probably next to nothing
What do you want in a country like that?
What do you see in a country like that?
What are you doin' in a country like that?
I got no answers thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
I say thanks but no thanks
I say thanks but no thanks
Thanks for the drugs thanks for the drugs
Drugs the American Dream
Drugs drugs
Drugs drugs
And the passenger pigeons
Destined to be shat out
Through wholesome American guts
Thanks for a continent to despoil and poison
Thanks for Indians
To provide a modicum of challenge and danger
Thanks for vast herds of bison
To kill and skin and leaving
The carcasses to rot
Thanks for the bounties on wolves and coyotes
Thanks for the American Dream
To vulgarize and falsify
Until the bare lies shine through
Thanks for the KKK
For the nigga-killing lawmen
Feeling their notches
For decent, church-going women
With their mean, pinched, bitter, evil faces
Thanks for "Kill a Queer for Christ" stickers
Thanks for the laboratory AIDS
Thanks for the prohibition and
The war against drugs
Thanks for a country where nobody's allowed
To mind their own business
Thanks to a nation of finks
Yes, thanks for all the memories
All right Let's see your arms
You always were a headache and
You always were a bore
Thanks for the last and the greatest betrayal
Of the last and the greatest of human dreams"
What do you see? A big pile of nothing
What do you want in a country like that?
What do you see in a country like that?
What are you doin' in a country like that?
I got no answers
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks, nothing
Well, what do you feel?
Probably next to nothing
What do you want in a country like that?
What do you see in a country like that?
What are you doin' in a country like that?
I got no answers thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
Thanks but no thanks thanks but no thanks
I say thanks but no thanks
I say thanks but no thanks
Thanks for the drugs thanks for the drugs
Drugs the American Dream
Drugs drugs
Drugs drugs
Lyrics submitted by gothic_hobbit
Thanx but No Thanx Lyrics as written by
Lyrics © SCHUBERT MUSIC PUBLISHING INC.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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