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.
Well, when I'm lyin' in my bed at night
I don't want to grow up
Nothin' ever seems to turn out right
I don't want to grow up
How do you move in a world of fog
That's always changing things?
Makes me wish that I could be a dog
Well, when I see the price that you pay
I don't want to grow up
I don't ever want to be that way
I don't want to grow up
Seems like folks turn into things they they'd never want
The only thing to live for is today
I'm gonna put a hole in my T.V. set
I don't want to grow up
Open up the medicine chest
And I don't want to grow up
I don't want to have to shout it out
I don't want my hair to fall out
I don't want to be filled with doubt
I don't want to be a good boy scout
I don't want to have to learn to count
I don't want to have the biggest amount
I don't want to grow up
Well, when I see my parents fight
I don't want to grow up
They all go out and drinking all night
And I don't want to grow up
I'd rather say here in my room
Nothin' out there but sad and gloom
I don't want to live in a big old tomb on Grand Street, hoo
When I see the five o'clock news
I don't want to grow up
Comb their hair and shine their shoes
I don't want to grow up
Stay around in my old hometown
I don't want to put no money down
I don't want to get me a big old loan
Work them fingers to the bone
I don't want to float a broom
Fall in love and get married then boom
How the hell did I get here so soon?
I don't want to grow up
I don't want to grow up
Nothin' ever seems to turn out right
I don't want to grow up
How do you move in a world of fog
That's always changing things?
Makes me wish that I could be a dog
Well, when I see the price that you pay
I don't want to grow up
I don't ever want to be that way
I don't want to grow up
Seems like folks turn into things they they'd never want
The only thing to live for is today
I'm gonna put a hole in my T.V. set
I don't want to grow up
Open up the medicine chest
And I don't want to grow up
I don't want to have to shout it out
I don't want my hair to fall out
I don't want to be filled with doubt
I don't want to be a good boy scout
I don't want to have to learn to count
I don't want to have the biggest amount
I don't want to grow up
Well, when I see my parents fight
I don't want to grow up
They all go out and drinking all night
And I don't want to grow up
I'd rather say here in my room
Nothin' out there but sad and gloom
I don't want to live in a big old tomb on Grand Street, hoo
When I see the five o'clock news
I don't want to grow up
Comb their hair and shine their shoes
I don't want to grow up
Stay around in my old hometown
I don't want to put no money down
I don't want to get me a big old loan
Work them fingers to the bone
I don't want to float a broom
Fall in love and get married then boom
How the hell did I get here so soon?
I don't want to grow up
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Unlike some other respondents, I don't see this as being about the childhood innocence we all used to have, but now that we've grown up we've seen the light. Quite the opposite. I see it as a man who has grown up, and wishes he could regain the freedom that children have; the freedom not to have to fit into the system and become something nobody ever wanted to be. Part of the beauty of being a child is you can not conform, and people still love you and look after you. When you're an adult, if you don't conform, you suffer.
So I see this as a critique of our society and a manifesto for not taking the place we're supposed to sit still in after we "grow out of" our yearning for something better. If in our society growing up is combing your hair, shining your shoes, becoming a good boy scout, and wanting the biggest amount, then, fuck it, I don't wanna grow up.
That's an interesting interpretation.<br /> I love it.
Why the hell did somebody flag this?
Wanting to stay a child and not have to deal with the problems that adults have is so natural, I think. It's so innocent.
"how the hell did it get here soon". i am always aking that question. years are passing so fast.
I do not interpret 'medicine chest' as a reference to suicide. It's a reference to needing pharmaceutical drugs as you grow older. This interpretation fits well with the rest of the song. Fact of the matter is you spend childhood disagreeing with your parents and promising to be nothing like them. Next thing you know you are much more like them than you ever anticipated - to include using many of the parenting skills learned from them with your own children.
and isn't that so very depressing?
I dont want to ever grow up.
I'm glad i can now drink and have sex. So you know, it's not all bad.
it being about suicide makes a lot of sense with the "medicine chest" line. I think it's also about a few other things: a sentimental (somewhat less dark) recollection of being little and powerless in a big scary world. A reminder of the childhood innocence that we all want back. An affirmation that children really hold the truth and grown-ups mess it by conforming, by settling ("seems that folks turn into things they never want to be").
I really love this song but it's hard to really pin down why it clicks so much with me. All I know is that I heard it and after every line my eyes got wide and I gave a knowing nod.
I was introduced to this song (but not to Tom Waits who I already knew) by the Ramones. As a 38 year old guy who's been listening to the Ramones since the mid 80s this song sometimes brings me to tears, especially sung with Joey's melodic crooning voice.
It is the tale of a man growing up and wishing he could stay young forever but having to deal with the realities of the world around him. Opening up the medicine chest could be either the medicine that comes with old age (although that's an easy explanation), or more poetically, dealing with suicidal thoughts.
Now that I have heard the Tom Waits version (after the excellent Ramones cover!) and listened to the album I see a lot of songs deal with death, so the medicine chest could well be the easy way out!
thats such an awesome song.. i feel the same way.
ha ha great song... made me think
The Ramones did a great cover of this song on their last album "Adios Amigos".