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.
The ghosts of the marathon dancers
In an abandoned dancehall
Go whirling around in the eddies of dust
When the wind comes in through a chink in the wall
All the music and the dancers are gone
But the dance goes on
They all danced till some long-ago dawn
But the dance goes on
In the cellars of dead Rockefellers
Hallways and subways and vaults
Go twisting and turning for mile after mile
In a glorious Gilded Age waltz
All the music and the dancers are gone
But the dance goes on
They all danced till some long-ago dawn
But the dance goes on
And I wrote the above in this ghost town
For a movie that wasn't to be
An adaptation of a French musical
Produced by Ted Hope, directed by Ang Lee
All the rights and the money are gone
But the song goes on
Like most movies, it'll never be done
But the song goes on
In an abandoned dancehall
Go whirling around in the eddies of dust
When the wind comes in through a chink in the wall
All the music and the dancers are gone
But the dance goes on
They all danced till some long-ago dawn
But the dance goes on
In the cellars of dead Rockefellers
Hallways and subways and vaults
Go twisting and turning for mile after mile
In a glorious Gilded Age waltz
All the music and the dancers are gone
But the dance goes on
They all danced till some long-ago dawn
But the dance goes on
And I wrote the above in this ghost town
For a movie that wasn't to be
An adaptation of a French musical
Produced by Ted Hope, directed by Ang Lee
All the rights and the money are gone
But the song goes on
Like most movies, it'll never be done
But the song goes on
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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