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.
She woke me up with a bang, bang
Looking' over cross eyed had a big
Hunch that the world was a big lie
When I got up all the blood to my head
I got so dizzy fell back into my bed
I went over to the way side
Looking for the high tide
What will I find will I find will I find
All I saw was a man that had a hat
That had a pom-pom he's been there for
Years can someone tell me how long
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
You see this woman woke me up at a quarter to three
And I didn't know it then
But she put a spell on me
Said I had to go down to where the cliffs meet the sea
And meet an old man to present my plea
So I headed way down to the big pier
To await and confront my big fear
I wheeled around behind to my blindside
To find an old man with a lime and a kind eye
Said mister, mister with your beard so long
Won't you be a saint and tell me
Just where I'm going
He pointed to a conk shell and then to the lime
And said this is all I really need to get by
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Hey mister man
I know you don't know who you think I think I am
But I can safely say
That I should've been sleeping, been sleeping, been sleeping , been sleeping
The day away
Hey hey
I said scuse me, have you got the time
He shrugged his shoulders said get a spine
Coconut hit me on the head jonesin' for a fig
I got booked last night, I need another fix, dick
Yeah, just then I see a twinkle twinkle
In the old man's eye and a wave
Tossed bottle is thrown to the sky
I caught it on the rebound
It landed with a soft sound
I took out the message and put the bottle down
Inside was the antidote to the spell
And I read it to the man 'cause he couldn't read so well
Said don't worry about a thing you know you path is true
Just ease your mind have a banana or two
Well goodness, goodness, woe is me
The man nearly flipped to learn that he was free
But just before we Left and started kicking it
I picked up the bottle and star sixed it
Kick kick shuffle shuffle back to the beach
With a tune on my lips and my quest in reach
If that woman comes to you with her song so sweet
Say damn, let the poor sucker sleep
Let him sleep
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Looking' over cross eyed had a big
Hunch that the world was a big lie
When I got up all the blood to my head
I got so dizzy fell back into my bed
I went over to the way side
Looking for the high tide
What will I find will I find will I find
All I saw was a man that had a hat
That had a pom-pom he's been there for
Years can someone tell me how long
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
You see this woman woke me up at a quarter to three
And I didn't know it then
But she put a spell on me
Said I had to go down to where the cliffs meet the sea
And meet an old man to present my plea
So I headed way down to the big pier
To await and confront my big fear
I wheeled around behind to my blindside
To find an old man with a lime and a kind eye
Said mister, mister with your beard so long
Won't you be a saint and tell me
Just where I'm going
He pointed to a conk shell and then to the lime
And said this is all I really need to get by
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Hey mister man
I know you don't know who you think I think I am
But I can safely say
That I should've been sleeping, been sleeping, been sleeping , been sleeping
The day away
Hey hey
I said scuse me, have you got the time
He shrugged his shoulders said get a spine
Coconut hit me on the head jonesin' for a fig
I got booked last night, I need another fix, dick
Yeah, just then I see a twinkle twinkle
In the old man's eye and a wave
Tossed bottle is thrown to the sky
I caught it on the rebound
It landed with a soft sound
I took out the message and put the bottle down
Inside was the antidote to the spell
And I read it to the man 'cause he couldn't read so well
Said don't worry about a thing you know you path is true
Just ease your mind have a banana or two
Well goodness, goodness, woe is me
The man nearly flipped to learn that he was free
But just before we Left and started kicking it
I picked up the bottle and star sixed it
Kick kick shuffle shuffle back to the beach
With a tune on my lips and my quest in reach
If that woman comes to you with her song so sweet
Say damn, let the poor sucker sleep
Let him sleep
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Wake up to tell me
Wake up to show me what I could not find
Lyrics submitted by dragonflower44, edited by donnyboy
Bang Bang Lyrics as written by Bradley Corrigan Charles Stokes Urmston
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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--Hmm, i don't entirely refute that last reference to religion... i'm just not totally sure about this song in the first place. --I think this is PRIMARILY about renouncing the complicated, material things of this world. And the "woman" is probably society telling him to find something having to do with materialism, etc... But he finds the old man, who is probably just someone who enlightened him about living simply, and not materialisticaly. --But, IF it was about drugs, (and it may be possible) I think it's about Chad singing about sobriety, and getting off drugs. The "woman" is something/someone that's telling him to get more drugs/ keep doing drugs, and the old man shows him that he doesn't need drugs to have a simple, happy life... --BUT.... why did the "man nearly flip to learn that he was free" mean? And free from what, again? --And in response ot SKAnkin, saying that he "Knows" Dispatch smokes [pot], lemme just say: I smoke, but i HIGHLY, HIGHLY doubt Dispatch smokes. And it'd be really suprising, and a little disappointing, to find out that they did. But based on seeing them talk about things, and meeting all of them INDIVIDUALLY, i seriously doubt they do.
Thnx --Mrk