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.
Can't get the stink off
He's been hanging 'round for days
Comes like a comet
Suckered you but not your friends
One day he'll get to you
And teach you how to be a holy cow
You do it to yourself, you do
And that's what really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself, just you
You and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself
Don't get my sympathy
Hanging out the fifteenth floor
You've changed the locks three times
I still come reeling through the door
One day I'll get to you
And teach you how to get to purest hell
You do it to yourself you do
And that's what really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself, just you
You and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself you do
And that's why it really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself just you
You and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself, self
You do it to yourself, you do it to yourself
Yeah, yeah, you do it to yourself, yes, yes, you
You do it to yourself
He's been hanging 'round for days
Comes like a comet
Suckered you but not your friends
One day he'll get to you
And teach you how to be a holy cow
You do it to yourself, you do
And that's what really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself, just you
You and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself
Don't get my sympathy
Hanging out the fifteenth floor
You've changed the locks three times
I still come reeling through the door
One day I'll get to you
And teach you how to get to purest hell
You do it to yourself you do
And that's what really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself, just you
You and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself you do
And that's why it really hurts
Is that you do it to yourself just you
You and no one else
You do it to yourself
You do it to yourself, self
You do it to yourself, you do it to yourself
Yeah, yeah, you do it to yourself, yes, yes, you
You do it to yourself
Lyrics submitted by piesupreme
Just Lyrics as written by Edward John O'brien Colin Charles Greenwood
Lyrics © Sentric Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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
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."
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.
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.
To me I think that he's singing about a friend of his who is in an on-off relationship with an arsehole, maybe he likes whoever she is, maybe she doesn't want him as he's a creep (see what I did there) etc.
Thom doesn't like the bloke, referring to him as a stink. There are sexual innuendoes aplenty in this song: "Comes like a comet" "Suckered you but not your friends" The holy cow bit may be saying that this bloke will try to convince the girl that she is the love of his life.
"Changed the locks three times" another innuendo. He'll teach you how to get to purest hell is drawn as a parallel to holy cow, so whatever he promises her, is actually a lie, perhaps.
The chorus shows that she brings it upon herself, and that she should cut this bloke from her life, but doesn't and "that's what really hurts." Which is why I think he has feelings for her, whoever she may be.
Quite likely I'm completely wrong, soz Thom (and the rest of Radiohead), but that's how this song comes across to me.