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.
Anything we should know about your change?
So you're on the floor at fifty-four
Think you can last at the Palace
Does your body go to the to and fro?
But tonight's the night or didn't you know
That Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
He tried his tricks that Ruskie bear
The United Nations said it's all fair
He did the radiation he did the chemical plague
But he could not win with a cossack spin
The Vostok Bomb the Stalin strike
He tried every move he tried to hitch hike
He drilled a hole like a Russian star
He made every move in his repertoire
When Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Now it was G.I. Joe's turn to blow
He turned it on cool and slow
He tried a payphone call to the Pentagon
A radar scan a leviathan
He wiped the Earth clean as a plate
What does it take to make a Ruskie break?
But the crowd are bored and off they go
Over the road to watch China blow
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
So you're on the floor at fifty-four
Think you can last at the Palace
Does your body go to the to and fro?
But tonight's the night or didn't you know
That Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
He tried his tricks that Ruskie bear
The United Nations said it's all fair
He did the radiation he did the chemical plague
But he could not win with a cossack spin
The Vostok Bomb the Stalin strike
He tried every move he tried to hitch hike
He drilled a hole like a Russian star
He made every move in his repertoire
When Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Now it was G.I. Joe's turn to blow
He turned it on cool and slow
He tried a payphone call to the Pentagon
A radar scan a leviathan
He wiped the Earth clean as a plate
What does it take to make a Ruskie break?
But the crowd are bored and off they go
Over the road to watch China blow
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
Ivan meets G.I. Joe
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