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.
So you say you gotta know why the world goes 'round
And you can't find the truth in the things you've found
And you're scared shitless 'cause evil abounds
Come and join us
Well I heard you were looking for a place to fit in
Full of adherent people with the same objective
A family to cling to and call brethren
Come and join us
All we want to do is change your mind
All you need to do is close your eyes
So come and join us
Come and join us
Come and join us
Don't you see the trouble that most people are in
And that they just want you for their own advantage
But I swear to you we're different from all of them
Come and join us
I can tell you are lookin' for a way to live
Where truth is determined by consensus
Full of codified arbitrary directives
Come and join us
All we want to have is your small mind
Turn it into one of our own kind
You can go through life adrift and alone
Desperate, desolate, on your own
But we're lookin' for a few more stalwart clones
So come and join us
Come and join us
Come and join us
We've got spite and dedication as a vehement brew
The world hates us, well we hate them too
But you're exempted of course if you
Come and join us
Independent, self-contented, revolutionary
Intellectual, brave, strong and scholarly
If you're not one of them, you're us already so
Come and join us
And you can't find the truth in the things you've found
And you're scared shitless 'cause evil abounds
Come and join us
Well I heard you were looking for a place to fit in
Full of adherent people with the same objective
A family to cling to and call brethren
Come and join us
All we want to do is change your mind
All you need to do is close your eyes
So come and join us
Come and join us
Come and join us
Don't you see the trouble that most people are in
And that they just want you for their own advantage
But I swear to you we're different from all of them
Come and join us
I can tell you are lookin' for a way to live
Where truth is determined by consensus
Full of codified arbitrary directives
Come and join us
All we want to have is your small mind
Turn it into one of our own kind
You can go through life adrift and alone
Desperate, desolate, on your own
But we're lookin' for a few more stalwart clones
So come and join us
Come and join us
Come and join us
We've got spite and dedication as a vehement brew
The world hates us, well we hate them too
But you're exempted of course if you
Come and join us
Independent, self-contented, revolutionary
Intellectual, brave, strong and scholarly
If you're not one of them, you're us already so
Come and join us
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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You people are crazed.
This is scathing assault on any dogmatic organization, be it religion, the hardcore punk/straight edge scenesters who act like thought police, Gangs, The Mafia, PETA, Neo-Nazis, the Police, ANYONE; and the kind of groupthink that allows these organizations to thrive and recruit new members to do their shitty bidding under the threat of exclusion or violence.
Yes it's about punk. Yes it's about religion.
=P
Well, I'm pretty sure what threat is saying, is exactly the exactly what soul doubt is trying to explain.
It is pretty obvious what this song is about.
You guys are SOOOOOOOOOO wrong. Greg Graffin said himself what this song meant, I thought everybody knew it. This song is about joining punk movement. That's it.... it's the only meaning....
crossbuster; im fairly certain that you're breaking some sort of stupidity limit. have you even read that essay?
the lyrics are pretty straight forward, but i dont think they're reffering specially to religions. it could be movements, political parties whatever.
Excuse me???? This is most definitely NOT about punk. Are you people fucked in the head???
It's quite obviously about religion. You should be ashamed of yourself people who said it's about punk. Punk is about individuality.
Good song, its pretty obvious what he's talking about..
no not really, it is about people who like recruit simple minded people looking for a way of life to join them and do whatever theyr doing without even caring see the movie AMERICAN HISTORY X its like what the skins do to those teenagers to convince them to like break into a store or soemthing
i relate it to religion.
So you say you got to know why the world goes round "And you can't find the truth in the things you've found And you're scared shitless 'cause evil abounds
Come join us" - relaties to how the christian churches find the weak and scare them into beliving in God so they can 'save them' a.k.a. - they got another costomer.
So in my view, its about how churches scare people into becoming paying members.
Of COURSE this is about religion. What do you think fuels this band to continue on? It's all about how organized religion goes about with brainwashing, and telling you what you want to hear to join their cause.