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.
In our beautiful pursuit of manifest destiny
We give ourselves great credit, we thank the Good Lord so earnestly
But something's been omitted by the writers of history
Now stand up all unsung heroes who made this world for you and me
Jamestown
Night crawlers cleared the forests of seedlings, nuts and leaves
And everything everywhere dried up and the natives got the dry heaves
Mosquitoes brought malaria and bees brought their hives
And the Indians got less scarier with yellow skin and eyes
Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London
They crossed the sea for you and me
Let's raise a glass so thankfully
Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London
Made the long treacherous passage to
Spread their natural juices, a gift to you, a gift to you
Yorktown
Parasites decimated the red army of Cornwallis and his flock
Standing weakly on Yorktown battlefield with measles and small pox
Horses, hogs, chickens and dogs and John Rolfe's prized worms
Divine intervention, bacterial strains from imported English dirt
Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London
They crossed the sea for you and me
Let's raise a glass so thankfully
Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London
Made the long treacherous passage to
Spread their natural juices, a gift to you
Natural juices, yes a gift to you
Hoorah, hooray, hoorah, hooray
Hail, hail, hooray, hoorah, hooray, ray, ray, ray
Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London
They crossed the sea for you and me
Let's raise a glass so thankfully
Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London
They made the long treacherous passage to
Spread their natural juices, a gift to you
The black rats of London
They crossed the sea for you and me
Let's raise a glass so thankfully
Hail, hooray, the black rats of London
Made the long treacherous passage to
Spread their natural juices, a gift to you, yes a gift to you
Pat yourself on the back, you did a great job
And the black rats of London made such a glorious, vicious mob
Sorry Rene it's just not true, paramecium's have feelings too
Where were the black rats when we needed them the most?
There were slave owners to infect
And the Joe Mengeles of the American West
We give ourselves great credit, we thank the Good Lord so earnestly
But something's been omitted by the writers of history
Now stand up all unsung heroes who made this world for you and me
Jamestown
Night crawlers cleared the forests of seedlings, nuts and leaves
And everything everywhere dried up and the natives got the dry heaves
Mosquitoes brought malaria and bees brought their hives
And the Indians got less scarier with yellow skin and eyes
Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London
They crossed the sea for you and me
Let's raise a glass so thankfully
Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London
Made the long treacherous passage to
Spread their natural juices, a gift to you, a gift to you
Yorktown
Parasites decimated the red army of Cornwallis and his flock
Standing weakly on Yorktown battlefield with measles and small pox
Horses, hogs, chickens and dogs and John Rolfe's prized worms
Divine intervention, bacterial strains from imported English dirt
Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London
They crossed the sea for you and me
Let's raise a glass so thankfully
Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London
Made the long treacherous passage to
Spread their natural juices, a gift to you
Natural juices, yes a gift to you
Hoorah, hooray, hoorah, hooray
Hail, hail, hooray, hoorah, hooray, ray, ray, ray
Hoorah, hooray, the black rats of London
They crossed the sea for you and me
Let's raise a glass so thankfully
Hail, hail, hooray, the black rats of London
They made the long treacherous passage to
Spread their natural juices, a gift to you
The black rats of London
They crossed the sea for you and me
Let's raise a glass so thankfully
Hail, hooray, the black rats of London
Made the long treacherous passage to
Spread their natural juices, a gift to you, yes a gift to you
Pat yourself on the back, you did a great job
And the black rats of London made such a glorious, vicious mob
Sorry Rene it's just not true, paramecium's have feelings too
Where were the black rats when we needed them the most?
There were slave owners to infect
And the Joe Mengeles of the American West
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
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