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.
Backstroke lover always hidin' 'neath the cover
'Till I talked to my daddy he say
He said, "You ain't seen nothing
'Till you're down on a muffin
Then you're sure to be a-changin' your ways"
I met a cheerleader, was a real young bleeder
All the times I can reminisce
'Cause the best thing lovin'
With her sister and her cousin
Only started with a little kiss, like this
See-saw swingin' with the boys in the school
With your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' "Hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle
Of the swing" like I didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin'
'Cause she knew what she was doin'
And I know love is here to stay
When she told me to
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Ah, just give me a kiss
School girl sweetie with the classy kinda sassy
Little skirt's climbin' way up her knees
There was three young ladies in the school gym locker
When I noticed they was lookin' at me
I was a high school loser
Never made it with a lady
Till the boys told me something I missed
Then my next door neighbor
With a daughter had a favor
So I gave her just a little kiss, like this
See-saw swingin' with the boys in the school
With your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' "Hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle
Of the swing" like I didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin'
'Cause she knew what she was doin'
When she told me how to walk this way
She told me to
"Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way"
Just give me a kiss
'Till I talked to my daddy he say
He said, "You ain't seen nothing
'Till you're down on a muffin
Then you're sure to be a-changin' your ways"
I met a cheerleader, was a real young bleeder
All the times I can reminisce
'Cause the best thing lovin'
With her sister and her cousin
Only started with a little kiss, like this
See-saw swingin' with the boys in the school
With your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' "Hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle
Of the swing" like I didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin'
'Cause she knew what she was doin'
And I know love is here to stay
When she told me to
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Ah, just give me a kiss
School girl sweetie with the classy kinda sassy
Little skirt's climbin' way up her knees
There was three young ladies in the school gym locker
When I noticed they was lookin' at me
I was a high school loser
Never made it with a lady
Till the boys told me something I missed
Then my next door neighbor
With a daughter had a favor
So I gave her just a little kiss, like this
See-saw swingin' with the boys in the school
With your feet flyin' up in the air
Singin' "Hey diddle-diddle with the kitty in the middle
Of the swing" like I didn't care
So I took a big chance at the high school dance
With a missy who was ready to play
Wasn't me she was foolin'
'Cause she knew what she was doin'
When she told me how to walk this way
She told me to
"Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way
Walk this way, walk this way"
Just give me a kiss
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
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
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.
Aerosmith may be a rock band, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is a rap. A very clever and well written rap (as opposed to perhaps 50Cent or Eminem), but a rap nonetheless. I don't agree with anybody who says this is the best Aerosmith song, and certainly not by far. It is an amazing song, and is certainly a classic... and yes it probably is the most popular Aerosmith song (besides "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" perhaps... but in my books, if Tyler didn't write it, it isn't Aerosmith.) but to me it just isn't classic Aerosmith.
Nonetheless, fantastic song. Aerosmith are legends.
I get what you mean, but, you could make that argument about virtually any song with a strong backbeat and staccato delivery! (kids!) ;)
They went to the movie "Young Frankenstein" and saw one of the characters, Egore, say "walk this way" that's how Steven got the idea for the lyrics to an already kick ass guitar lick. honest to God.
@diseased_and_amused At first, I didn't believe this, as I thought that Walk This Way was written before the release of Young Frankenstein. However, after some research, I found that it's true! Young Frankenstein" was released on December 15, 1974, and this song was written in early 1975 and released as a single on August 28, 1975.<br /> <br /> From Wikipedia: "Deciding to take a break from recording, band members and producer Jack Douglas went down to Times Square to see Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein". Returning to the studio, they were laughing about Marty Feldman telling Gene Wilder to follow him in the film, saying "walk this way" and limping. Douglas suggested this as a title for their song."
@diseased_and_amused it's pronounced eye-gore
The "Young Frankenstein" story is probably apocryphal, especially since the joke, "Walk this way" - - "If I could walk that way I wouldn't need the talcum powder" - - has been around for decades prior to both the song and the film. According to SongFacts.com: "(Steven) Tyler, however, tells a different story regarding the inspiration for the title . . . "The song title evolved from watching The Three Stooges on TV. They walked this way and that." Not sure what that meant; possibly, the "Slowly I Turned" sketch from their "Niagara Falls" episode?
Run DMC killed this song in every possible way. RAP SUX
Just as "Puff Daddy" mutilated Zep's "Kashmir" on SNL, and with Zep's permission and lead guitarist, Jimmy Page, playing, no less! In all such cases, the rappers either didn't understand the songs and/or thought they could bring it to a new generation by covering it their way. Some things just don't translate! And yes, rap sucks! :)
I think its about learning how to "relate" to women, learning how to walk, talk,act, etc. like a man.
"Relate." Well put! ;)<br />
I must admit I was agry at Aerosmith for many years for the rap version of this song. If Leonardo DaVinci defaced the Mona Lisa, he would still be arrested for vandalism if it is no longer his painting. Never mind that he created the artwork. WTW is not different. Recently a friend in the industry explained to me that the rap version was critical to Aerosmith's relaunch in the 1980's, so I have softened my stance.
This song is about the sexual awakening of a young man. He is very excited about "getting to third base," as walking in this context is about fingering a girl with two digits. Of course going down on a muffin doesn't need nearllly as much explanation.
The song takes us through the a progression of the a young boy's early sexuality. First, he is masturbating (backstroke lover) then he is seeking girls his own age when he met a cheerleader who was a real young bleeder.
In the last verse, he finally makes his move and gets his conquest. After all the masturbation, advice from others and talking about sex, he finally takes a big chance at a high school dance with a missy who was ready to play He ends with my favorite line in that he wasn't surprised and in fact was delighted that her knowledge of managing female genitalia was at the Instructor level.
@mirgang You probably hit the best description of this song yet. I saw Aerosmith play at Westboro Speedway in Mass. in '74 when I was a freshman in HS, I Loved them. Got stoned everyday listening to their albums after school.
the song is an ode to teenage lust - "back stroke lover" -masturbation, "He said you ain't seen nothin' 'til you're down on a muffin" - you havnt experienced anything till you've had REAL p***y. And thats the truth.
About a promiscuous cheerleader who leads a schoolboy through his first sexual experience.
Let's be politically correct, here: It's about a horny schoolboy. And why is it that if a guy does it with a lot of women, he's considered a "stud," but, given the reverse, the woman is considered a "slut," "nymphomaniac," or, as you stated, "promiscuous," et al.?
This song is awesome, but I am a fanatic of Aerosmith and so I don't visualize it as their best. But the phrase "walk this way" means, when a guy fingers a girl but with 2 fingers, and while he is fingering her, his fingers are in a walking motion. SWEAR TO GOD. I found it out in their autobiography.
WOW I kinda knew like it was about sex but it's hard to make out the words some times and actually work out what they mean...wow...that's more intense than I had thought!!!! Lol ...ewww even. But what does that guy mean "the riff is too hard and its too fast" does he mean to play on a guitar?? It was the first song I learned man!
degree7 you don't know what you're talking about.
This is the coolest riff ever conducted in the history of forever and will never be topped.
The cleverest concoction of sleazy lyrics in the history of forever.
Overall, in the history of forever it's a great song.