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.
Record scratch, Steve Miller band
Tattooed necks and tattooed hands
Oh, how don't you drown in a rain storm?
Fresh regrets, vodka sweats
The sun is down and we're bound to get exhausted and so far from the shore
You're never gonna get it
I'm a hazard to myself
I'll break it to you easy
This is hell, this is hell
You're looking and whispering you think I'm someone else
This is hell, yes
Literal hell
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to smile
We don't have to make friends
It's so nice to meet you
Let's never meet again
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to dance
Bottles smashed, I raised my hand
How can you all even stand?
And why is there joy in this poison? Oh
Faking smiles and confidence
Driving miles to capture this excitement
I can't take anymore
You're never gonna get it
I'm a hazard to myself
I'll break it to you easy
This is hell, this is hell
You're looking and whispering
You think I'm someone else
This is hell, yes
I am in hell
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to smile
We don't have to make friends
It's so nice to meet you
Let's never meet again
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to dance
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
You're never gonna get it
I'm a hazard to myself
I'll break it to you easy
This is hell, this is hell
You're looking and whispering
You think I'm someone else
This is hell, yes
Literal hell
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to smile
We don't have to make friends
It's so nice to meet you
Let's never meet again
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to dance
We don't have to talk
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to talk
Talk, talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to talk
Talk, talk, talk, talk
Talk, talk, talk, talk
Tattooed necks and tattooed hands
Oh, how don't you drown in a rain storm?
Fresh regrets, vodka sweats
The sun is down and we're bound to get exhausted and so far from the shore
You're never gonna get it
I'm a hazard to myself
I'll break it to you easy
This is hell, this is hell
You're looking and whispering you think I'm someone else
This is hell, yes
Literal hell
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to smile
We don't have to make friends
It's so nice to meet you
Let's never meet again
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to dance
Bottles smashed, I raised my hand
How can you all even stand?
And why is there joy in this poison? Oh
Faking smiles and confidence
Driving miles to capture this excitement
I can't take anymore
You're never gonna get it
I'm a hazard to myself
I'll break it to you easy
This is hell, this is hell
You're looking and whispering
You think I'm someone else
This is hell, yes
I am in hell
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to smile
We don't have to make friends
It's so nice to meet you
Let's never meet again
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to dance
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
You're never gonna get it
I'm a hazard to myself
I'll break it to you easy
This is hell, this is hell
You're looking and whispering
You think I'm someone else
This is hell, yes
Literal hell
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to smile
We don't have to make friends
It's so nice to meet you
Let's never meet again
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to dance
We don't have to talk
We don't have to talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to talk
Talk, talk
We don't have to dance
We don't have to talk
Talk, talk, talk, talk
Talk, talk, talk, talk
Lyrics submitted by RedneckBarbie
We Don't Have to Dance Lyrics as written by Patrick Stump Eric Frederic
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Andy has said himself in an interview that this song is about social anxiety which he suffers from himself even as a celebrity. The lyrics definitley express this idea. I think the following lines from the song perfectly summarise what he said in the interview and explain what people with social anxieties might be thinking in social events like parties.
"We don't have to talk We don't have to dance We don't have to smile We don't have to make friends It's so nice to meet you Let's never meet again"
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