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.
Slow to marry, swift to die
We leave disasters where they lie
I know these lines look crooked on paper
But I swear I got it straight in my head
And if you’re looking for somebody to blame, I recommend the dead
(I recommend the dead ‘cause they never answer back).
Skinny dipping in the lake
I got the itch, I drank the wake
Would somebody please hand me a towel?
And now we’re up on molehill mountain
Scraping coins out of the fountain with the retinue of dirty old young, young men (again).
But when I get back from Nashville
i’m renting a room in the loyalty building
I’m sure that the prospects are sound in the event of calamitous circumstance
Or great good fortune.
Yhere must be a reason, there must be a Plan.
A palace in receivership
A jester with a busted lip
A catalog of crooked answers...
We’ve all heard about the rapist nun.
She pulled a switch on everyone.
The altar boys aren’t having fun
And the papacy is drawing up the papers (behind closed doors).
But in the me-heanwhile...
I’m renting a room in the loyalty building
I’m sure that the prospects are sound in the event of calamitous circumstance or great good fortune there must be a reason there must be a plan.
We leave disasters where they lie
I know these lines look crooked on paper
But I swear I got it straight in my head
And if you’re looking for somebody to blame, I recommend the dead
(I recommend the dead ‘cause they never answer back).
Skinny dipping in the lake
I got the itch, I drank the wake
Would somebody please hand me a towel?
And now we’re up on molehill mountain
Scraping coins out of the fountain with the retinue of dirty old young, young men (again).
But when I get back from Nashville
i’m renting a room in the loyalty building
I’m sure that the prospects are sound in the event of calamitous circumstance
Or great good fortune.
Yhere must be a reason, there must be a Plan.
A palace in receivership
A jester with a busted lip
A catalog of crooked answers...
We’ve all heard about the rapist nun.
She pulled a switch on everyone.
The altar boys aren’t having fun
And the papacy is drawing up the papers (behind closed doors).
But in the me-heanwhile...
I’m renting a room in the loyalty building
I’m sure that the prospects are sound in the event of calamitous circumstance or great good fortune there must be a reason there must be a plan.
Lyrics submitted by NeoNess
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.