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.
Riding my life
Like a run-a-way train
Moving from
One track to that
Howling, crying,
Screaming at the moon
Only my voice came back
Only the echo came back
When I was a boy
Daddy told me
Grow tall
Yes and Billy don't crawl
Taught me how to ride
Set me out on my own
And I never came back
And yes I'd do it again
Oh wouldn't you
Yeah I'd do it again
A-huh oh yeah
Do it again
Baby
Wouldn't you?
Remember
When I lied
Just when you
Needed me
Now I sit
Alone and cry
'Cause now I believe in mercy
Remember when I lied
Just when you needed me baby
I believe in mercy
Riding, walking
Looking so cool
Guess I crossed
Over the borderline
Treated like a dunce
Who just can't read
Did I fool me too?
And yes I'd do it again
Oh wouldn't you
Yes I'd do it again
Aha yeah I'd do it again
Baby
Wouldn't you
Remember
When I lied
Just when you
Needed me
Now I sit
Alone and cry
'Cause now I believe in mercy
Remember when I lied
Now that you
Needed me
Yes I believe in mercy
I said "Come here"
Look into my face
And hear into my heart
Hesitation
Could re-arrange
The other side
To your love
Take hold now baby
And take
What other
Lovers have not
Times is changing
Will they re-arrange
The other side to your love
No-woah woah woah
Yeah
Wooooo
(Come home
Here he is impatient one
Come home
Come home
Tell the story)
Come home
Here he is
The impatient one
Come home
To claim a glory
Prodigal son
Come home
Prodigal bum
Come home
Prodigal son
Prodigal son
Come home
To claim a glory
Prodigal son
Come home
Prodigal son
COme home
Prodigal bum
Here he comes
Yeah that prodigal son
Ooooh
He's the one
To tell his story
C'mon to tell his story
Tell his story
To claim his glory
Like a run-a-way train
Moving from
One track to that
Howling, crying,
Screaming at the moon
Only my voice came back
Only the echo came back
When I was a boy
Daddy told me
Grow tall
Yes and Billy don't crawl
Taught me how to ride
Set me out on my own
And I never came back
And yes I'd do it again
Oh wouldn't you
Yeah I'd do it again
A-huh oh yeah
Do it again
Baby
Wouldn't you?
Remember
When I lied
Just when you
Needed me
Now I sit
Alone and cry
'Cause now I believe in mercy
Remember when I lied
Just when you needed me baby
I believe in mercy
Riding, walking
Looking so cool
Guess I crossed
Over the borderline
Treated like a dunce
Who just can't read
Did I fool me too?
And yes I'd do it again
Oh wouldn't you
Yes I'd do it again
Aha yeah I'd do it again
Baby
Wouldn't you
Remember
When I lied
Just when you
Needed me
Now I sit
Alone and cry
'Cause now I believe in mercy
Remember when I lied
Now that you
Needed me
Yes I believe in mercy
I said "Come here"
Look into my face
And hear into my heart
Hesitation
Could re-arrange
The other side
To your love
Take hold now baby
And take
What other
Lovers have not
Times is changing
Will they re-arrange
The other side to your love
No-woah woah woah
Yeah
Wooooo
(Come home
Here he is impatient one
Come home
Come home
Tell the story)
Come home
Here he is
The impatient one
Come home
To claim a glory
Prodigal son
Come home
Prodigal bum
Come home
Prodigal son
Prodigal son
Come home
To claim a glory
Prodigal son
Come home
Prodigal son
COme home
Prodigal bum
Here he comes
Yeah that prodigal son
Ooooh
He's the one
To tell his story
C'mon to tell his story
Tell his story
To claim his glory
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Prodigal Blues Lyrics as written by Billy Idol
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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ok....well that was weird
i really really like this song.. it talks about him growing up and then becoming jaded right before he wrote this song he almost died in a motorcycle accident which can make you look back
so it like i was innocent now im not i was jaded i understand but i had one hell of a life and id do it again
A boy leaves his home and lives a wild life as a narcissist looking for shallow fixes to put band aid on deep emotional wounds his father created in him.
"Riding my life Like a run-a-way train Moving from One track to that Howling, crying, Screaming at the moon Only my voice came back Only the echo came back"
The boy/man reacts to tangents. Tries everything to heal the wounds. But every solution is just empty promises. He is crying and howling. Why all this suffering?
But the boy says that he would do all the crazy stuff he did over and over again. Because it was a wild ride.
The boy treats people bad inside relationships (he is a self-absorbed liar) until one time he has to cave under. One final time he can not get out, and that time he is saved by mercy.
"Remember When I lied Just when you Needed me Now I sit Alone and cry Cos now I believe in mercy Remember when I lied Now that you Needed me Yes I believe in mercy"
He finds God and can experience such a strong feeling of unconditional love in his soul that he can feel strong enough to return home and leave the wild life behind.