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.
Yes I think it's safe to say
I feel good about the place
That I have made in the world today
I get all sticky inside
When I close my eyes and I open up wide
I see pictures in the clouds
So obscene I gotta laugh out loud
I look back to find my way
And reminisce nice about the good old days
Yeah, when I saw my brother above me
I remember the words he said
"When you dream you hit bottom
Chances are good you're gonna wake up dead"
I will be up on top when the sky falls down
And It all goes wrong again
Yeah,
I will be sitting on top when it all goes wrong again
Yeah,
I will be sitting on top when it all goes wrong
Yes I think it's safe to say
I feel good about the sin
That I inflict on my own skin
I pay money to cut and burn
Pictures like lessons that I need to learn
I see faces on the ceiling
I see them move
I hear them singing
I lay laughing here by myself
And think about the time that I spent in Hell
When I saw my brother below me
I remember the words he said
"When you need to wake up happy
You better sleep right in your own warm bed"
I will be singing in the rain
When my beds on fire and it all goes wrong again
Whoa,
I will be singing in the rain
When it all goes wrong again
Whoa...whoa,
I will be singing in the rain
When it all goes wrong
Where are you gonna be
When it all comes down?
What are you gonna do
When it all comes down?
What are you gonna be
When it all comes down?
What are you gonna do
When it all comes down on you?
Sitting on top of the world
(When it all goes wrong again)
I'll be sitting on top of the world
(When it all goes wrong again)
I will be sitting on top when the sky falls down
And it all goes wrong again
Whoa,
I will be sitting on top
When it all goes wrong again
Whoa...whoa,
I will be sitting on top
When it all goes wrong again
Again & again
I will be sitting on top
When it all goes wrong
Yeah, when it all goes wrong again (x 7)
When it all goes wrong...
I feel good about the place
That I have made in the world today
I get all sticky inside
When I close my eyes and I open up wide
I see pictures in the clouds
So obscene I gotta laugh out loud
I look back to find my way
And reminisce nice about the good old days
Yeah, when I saw my brother above me
I remember the words he said
"When you dream you hit bottom
Chances are good you're gonna wake up dead"
I will be up on top when the sky falls down
And It all goes wrong again
Yeah,
I will be sitting on top when it all goes wrong again
Yeah,
I will be sitting on top when it all goes wrong
Yes I think it's safe to say
I feel good about the sin
That I inflict on my own skin
I pay money to cut and burn
Pictures like lessons that I need to learn
I see faces on the ceiling
I see them move
I hear them singing
I lay laughing here by myself
And think about the time that I spent in Hell
When I saw my brother below me
I remember the words he said
"When you need to wake up happy
You better sleep right in your own warm bed"
I will be singing in the rain
When my beds on fire and it all goes wrong again
Whoa,
I will be singing in the rain
When it all goes wrong again
Whoa...whoa,
I will be singing in the rain
When it all goes wrong
Where are you gonna be
When it all comes down?
What are you gonna do
When it all comes down?
What are you gonna be
When it all comes down?
What are you gonna do
When it all comes down on you?
Sitting on top of the world
(When it all goes wrong again)
I'll be sitting on top of the world
(When it all goes wrong again)
I will be sitting on top when the sky falls down
And it all goes wrong again
Whoa,
I will be sitting on top
When it all goes wrong again
Whoa...whoa,
I will be sitting on top
When it all goes wrong again
Again & again
I will be sitting on top
When it all goes wrong
Yeah, when it all goes wrong again (x 7)
When it all goes wrong...
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Light Up The Sky
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Great version of a great song,
Great song, but the line in the 7th stanza:
"I'll be singing in the rain when the bad dreams com"
Should be "I'll be singing in the rain when the bed's on fire"