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.
How do you want to be remembered?
As being rich?
Yeah, yeah, uh
Visions of seeing my self as somewhat different
Reality got me feeling indifferent
I'm lifting this weight off my shoulders
But how older I get
I reload the clip and sip on something
I feel good for nothing
All my glory days behind me or beyond me
I'm folding like origami
My tables turning like interior decorating
Levels like elevators
These haters got me questioning my judgement
Tried by jury of my peers but where the judge went?
What will my legacy be?
Who will my enemy be?
In due time as I write this rhyme
I don't know
Flash before my eyes, yeah, uh
And on my deathbed what will I say as I pray?
And reminisce of another day
I came from nothing, a child born in poverty
Went to college to gain knowledge
So they would acknowledge me
Honestly I got a good job
I found a woman made her my wife
But spent more time at work
So we could have a stable life
And when my son was born
I had to work even harder
Before I knew it my wife was giving birth to my daughter
Went from forty hours a week to eighty
Ain't nobody gon' pay me but myself
Sacrifice my time and my health for wealth
I missed her birthday, miss our anniversary
There's lots of people in this world that are worse than me
I wasn't there for my son's first words
But he ain't grow up in the hood like me we in the 'burbs
Sacrifice a couple years he can have all the money when I'm gone
What a fool I was
I missed his graduation, I missed her wedding day
I didn't even get to give my little girl away
But I paid for the honeymoon, yeah
I paid for the honeymoon
I'm not there right now but I will be later
I'm working on something that's greater
That's my legacy
Uh, I'm gon' be remembered by generations to come
Damn, you dumb
You won't be remembered by your son, uh, yeah
To be remembered by generations to come
You a fool
You won't be remembered by your son
Nonsense, nonsense
I said to the man with no money, nonsense, uh, uh
Step back who running from me I don't know my own identity
I look in the mirror, look in the mirror, I ain't clearer
I'm just trying to be free, who is that? It surely ain't me
As I lay on my deathbed I realized I was wrong
I had been the richest man in the world all along
A beautiful family that all I did was ignore
For financial stability and the fear of being poor
'Cause when I was a child knew I always wanted more
When I was a child knew I always wanted more, more, more
And now I got it, uh
And now I'm laying in this bed, cancer spreading through my lungs
Looking at my family like, "Damn y'all were the ones"
I sacrifice my life for hundreds, fifties, twenties
Tens, fives, and ones , so dumb
I'd give it all if I could
Do it from my heart again not my wallet
I hate to recall it but it's gone now
Legacy is gone now
Sacrifice my health for wealth no it wasn't worth it
But as I take my last breath I know that I deserved it
Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy
The legacy you gon' leave behind you forever
Is the blood in your veins
Wake up, daddy, now is the time for change
And as your child I'm telling you I don't give a damn if we living on change
Daddy just as long as we livin', just as long as we livin' daddy
I just want to be happy I don't give a damn if we livin' a shoebox
Now my mama going to tell you what you got
I love you, I love you, I love you, I want you, I need you, I crave you
Why you throw away this pussy that I gave you?
Why you fucking around behind my back?
While I'm home raising my children
Feel like a single mother even though a ring up on it
Supposed to be like husband and wife you more like my opponent
Finger fucking myself because fuck infidelity
I'd rather look in the mirror be happy who I see
Sometimes I want to take my babies and go to my mama crib
Can I live?
Can I have a life away from my life?
Be the woman that I would have been if I wasn't your wife
You know I love him but if that test wasn't positive
I would have had a lot to give
Sometimes I want to divorce your ass and take half, motherfucker
But I stay 'cause I love these children
And I love you deep down, that's why I stick around, but
You never there because you just want to be the best
You just want to make this money
Come get this pussy motherfucker
Come get this pussy and love your children
Fuck your legacy
Fuck it
Float in the abyss of nothingness
My consciousness remembers a life before it's pitch black
I wish I could get back
And then I realize that all this shit is just a daydream
And there's only like four of us in a tour bus
And I'm in the back, how about that?
Think about my legacy
And as how we as human beings sacrifice health for money, ain't it funny?
'Cause in the end we spent all our money on repairing our body and mind
When we really should have just spent time
Fuck a legacy
I'ma go live my life
Peace
As being rich?
Yeah, yeah, uh
Visions of seeing my self as somewhat different
Reality got me feeling indifferent
I'm lifting this weight off my shoulders
But how older I get
I reload the clip and sip on something
I feel good for nothing
All my glory days behind me or beyond me
I'm folding like origami
My tables turning like interior decorating
Levels like elevators
These haters got me questioning my judgement
Tried by jury of my peers but where the judge went?
What will my legacy be?
Who will my enemy be?
In due time as I write this rhyme
I don't know
Flash before my eyes, yeah, uh
And on my deathbed what will I say as I pray?
And reminisce of another day
I came from nothing, a child born in poverty
Went to college to gain knowledge
So they would acknowledge me
Honestly I got a good job
I found a woman made her my wife
But spent more time at work
So we could have a stable life
And when my son was born
I had to work even harder
Before I knew it my wife was giving birth to my daughter
Went from forty hours a week to eighty
Ain't nobody gon' pay me but myself
Sacrifice my time and my health for wealth
I missed her birthday, miss our anniversary
There's lots of people in this world that are worse than me
I wasn't there for my son's first words
But he ain't grow up in the hood like me we in the 'burbs
Sacrifice a couple years he can have all the money when I'm gone
What a fool I was
I missed his graduation, I missed her wedding day
I didn't even get to give my little girl away
But I paid for the honeymoon, yeah
I paid for the honeymoon
I'm not there right now but I will be later
I'm working on something that's greater
That's my legacy
Uh, I'm gon' be remembered by generations to come
Damn, you dumb
You won't be remembered by your son, uh, yeah
To be remembered by generations to come
You a fool
You won't be remembered by your son
Nonsense, nonsense
I said to the man with no money, nonsense, uh, uh
Step back who running from me I don't know my own identity
I look in the mirror, look in the mirror, I ain't clearer
I'm just trying to be free, who is that? It surely ain't me
As I lay on my deathbed I realized I was wrong
I had been the richest man in the world all along
A beautiful family that all I did was ignore
For financial stability and the fear of being poor
'Cause when I was a child knew I always wanted more
When I was a child knew I always wanted more, more, more
And now I got it, uh
And now I'm laying in this bed, cancer spreading through my lungs
Looking at my family like, "Damn y'all were the ones"
I sacrifice my life for hundreds, fifties, twenties
Tens, fives, and ones , so dumb
I'd give it all if I could
Do it from my heart again not my wallet
I hate to recall it but it's gone now
Legacy is gone now
Sacrifice my health for wealth no it wasn't worth it
But as I take my last breath I know that I deserved it
Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy
The legacy you gon' leave behind you forever
Is the blood in your veins
Wake up, daddy, now is the time for change
And as your child I'm telling you I don't give a damn if we living on change
Daddy just as long as we livin', just as long as we livin' daddy
I just want to be happy I don't give a damn if we livin' a shoebox
Now my mama going to tell you what you got
I love you, I love you, I love you, I want you, I need you, I crave you
Why you throw away this pussy that I gave you?
Why you fucking around behind my back?
While I'm home raising my children
Feel like a single mother even though a ring up on it
Supposed to be like husband and wife you more like my opponent
Finger fucking myself because fuck infidelity
I'd rather look in the mirror be happy who I see
Sometimes I want to take my babies and go to my mama crib
Can I live?
Can I have a life away from my life?
Be the woman that I would have been if I wasn't your wife
You know I love him but if that test wasn't positive
I would have had a lot to give
Sometimes I want to divorce your ass and take half, motherfucker
But I stay 'cause I love these children
And I love you deep down, that's why I stick around, but
You never there because you just want to be the best
You just want to make this money
Come get this pussy motherfucker
Come get this pussy and love your children
Fuck your legacy
Fuck it
Float in the abyss of nothingness
My consciousness remembers a life before it's pitch black
I wish I could get back
And then I realize that all this shit is just a daydream
And there's only like four of us in a tour bus
And I'm in the back, how about that?
Think about my legacy
And as how we as human beings sacrifice health for money, ain't it funny?
'Cause in the end we spent all our money on repairing our body and mind
When we really should have just spent time
Fuck a legacy
I'ma go live my life
Peace
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher
Legacy Lyrics as written by Robert Hall Naz
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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