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.
Hoo, Lord
Well, I'm gonna ride a saber tooth horse through the Hollywood hills
The farther west, the farther out
Yeah, that's the way I feel
Well, I dig the dirt an' I dig the dust I barbecue my meals
Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon through the Hollywood hills, yeah
Huh, Hollywood hills
Well, I'm gonna ride a saber tooth horse through the Hollywood hills
Just don't show me anything 'cause that's the way I feel
Well, I dig the dirt an' I dig the dust
I barbecue my meals
Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon through the Hollywood hills, yeah
Huh, Hollywood hills
Passion dripping from the coyote's eyes
He can taste his blood
An' blood never lies pale face die
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't kill coyotes
Well, I'm gonna ride a saber tooth horse through the Hollywood hills
The farther west, the farther out yeah, that's the way I feel
Well, I dig the dirt an' I dig the dust I barbecue my meals
Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon through the Hollywood hills, yeah
Huh, Hollywood hills
Passion dripping from the coyote's eyes
He can taste his blood
An' blood never lies pale face die
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't
Well, I'm gonna ride a saber tooth horse Through the Hollywood hills
Just don't tell me anything 'cause that's the way I feel
Well, I dig the dirt an' I dig the dust I barbecue my meals
Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon Through the Hollywood hills, yeah
Huh, Hollywood hills
Passion dripping from the coyote's eyes
He can taste his blood
An' blood never lies pale face die
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't
Well, I'm gonna ride a saber tooth horse through the Hollywood hills
The farther west, the farther out
Yeah, that's the way I feel
Well, I dig the dirt an' I dig the dust I barbecue my meals
Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon through the Hollywood hills, yeah
Huh, Hollywood hills
Well, I'm gonna ride a saber tooth horse through the Hollywood hills
Just don't show me anything 'cause that's the way I feel
Well, I dig the dirt an' I dig the dust
I barbecue my meals
Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon through the Hollywood hills, yeah
Huh, Hollywood hills
Passion dripping from the coyote's eyes
He can taste his blood
An' blood never lies pale face die
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't kill coyotes
Well, I'm gonna ride a saber tooth horse through the Hollywood hills
The farther west, the farther out yeah, that's the way I feel
Well, I dig the dirt an' I dig the dust I barbecue my meals
Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon through the Hollywood hills, yeah
Huh, Hollywood hills
Passion dripping from the coyote's eyes
He can taste his blood
An' blood never lies pale face die
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't
Well, I'm gonna ride a saber tooth horse Through the Hollywood hills
Just don't tell me anything 'cause that's the way I feel
Well, I dig the dirt an' I dig the dust I barbecue my meals
Ridin' wild on a paisley dragon Through the Hollywood hills, yeah
Huh, Hollywood hills
Passion dripping from the coyote's eyes
He can taste his blood
An' blood never lies pale face die
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't
True men don't kill coyotes
True men don't
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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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Theres obviously the struggle between native americans and white settlers (pale face die), but i think its also about the struggle to stay, for want of a better word, normal, while everything becomes the same (Hollywood), and the bands decision not to buy into the Hollywood scene (ride... THROUGH the Hollywood Hills)
@rock_bunny <br /> You are right a bit, but lacking some major detail....<br /> <br /> 14 YEARS AND I'VE RISEN FROM THE DEAD TO TELL YOU WHAT THIS SONG MEANS IN FULL.<br /> <br /> IN THE 1980's (til today), HEROIN ADDICTS HUNG IN THE HILLS. "Riding the dragon" is a colloquial phrase that means shooting dope (in this case, the PAISLEY (white skinned/scaled) dragon... Paisley means pure white... Dragon, in reference to China and the related phrase "chasing the dragon", which is to suck the escaping fumes of smoke that rise when heating dope on tin foil or a plate... The ball or little mound of powdered dope heats up and melts... Because it is hot, it has nearly no viscosity, so it moves like a bead of water, and will create trails of smoke resemblant of a "dragon's tail"... In addition, CHINA WHITE heroin is the whitest of the paisley dragons... To ride it is to feel the drug course through ones veins... Riding the dragon, one basically can't dismount... Once it goes in, it starts taking over... Chasing it is one step away, shorter lasting, and people can likely exert a greater control over it...<br /> <br /> So, we've got the fucking paisley dragon part covered... What about the sabertooth fucking horse?<br /> <br /> Well, smack is so strong that one sniff of it, one light of it, one shot of it, will put one in a daze as if they've drunk a full pint of whiskey... Or for the liars, one fifth.<br /> <br /> He equated it to "riding a sabertooth horse", because heroin makes people have opiate like dreams... So he starts the song with "HOO! LORD!", describing the rush he gets right after injection and the sudden ability of his mind to travel anywhere in space, to any fantasy...<br /> <br /> REAL MEN DON'T KILL COYOTES... Literally. The starving heroin junkies were LITERALLY EATING coyotes... and at the same time, they became the wild coyotes themselves, "Passion dripping from the coyote's eyes", perhaps an unintentional double-entendra.<br /> "He can taste his blood<br /> An' blood never lies pale face die." Right, they've infiltrated the hills, and the coyotes were sad, killed, displaced, with a bunch of heroin addict piece of shit Californians.<br /> <br /> Yes, you got thing, a hint to the Native Americans... but it is the Native in Kiedis being the only reason he summons or speaks for the Indians... He carries their spirit. Yes, to never venture into the hills but go under the bridge. The sabertooth his envisionment of the animal that could gobble up those junkies... while shooting dope himeself... That's Hollywood. It's a shit town overall.