This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seein' things in a different way
And God knows it ain't his
It sure ain't no surprise
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
The light bulb's gettin dim
There's meltdown in the sky
If you can judge a wise man
By the color of his skin
Then mister you're a better man than I
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge (everybody, everybody)
Tell me what you think about your situation
Complication, aggravation is getting to you
If chicken little tells you that the sky is fallin'
Even if it wasn't would you still come crawlin'
Back again
I bet you would my friend
Again and again and again and again and again
Tell me what you think about your situation
Complication, aggravation is getting to you
If chicken little tells you that the sky is fallin'
Even if it was would you still come crawlin'
Back again
I bet you would my friend
Again and again and again and again and again
Something right with the world today
And everybody knows it's wrong
But we can tell 'em no or we could let it go
But I'd would rather be a hanging on
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge (everybody, everybody)
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes
We're seein' things in a different way
And God knows it ain't his
It sure ain't no surprise
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
There's somethin' wrong with the world today
The light bulb's gettin dim
There's meltdown in the sky
If you can judge a wise man
By the color of his skin
Then mister you're a better man than I
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge (everybody, everybody)
Tell me what you think about your situation
Complication, aggravation is getting to you
If chicken little tells you that the sky is fallin'
Even if it wasn't would you still come crawlin'
Back again
I bet you would my friend
Again and again and again and again and again
Tell me what you think about your situation
Complication, aggravation is getting to you
If chicken little tells you that the sky is fallin'
Even if it was would you still come crawlin'
Back again
I bet you would my friend
Again and again and again and again and again
Something right with the world today
And everybody knows it's wrong
But we can tell 'em no or we could let it go
But I'd would rather be a hanging on
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge (everybody, everybody)
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't stop yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself at all
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself
You can't help yourself
Livin' on the edge
You can't help yourself from fallin'
Livin' on the edge, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
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I agree, this song is probly about how bad the world has become. But, maybe "God knows it aint his" is just pushing at people who are prejudice against religion (there's a name for them but I can't remember it now).
"If you can judge a wise man By the color of his skin " is obviously poking at racists.
"You can't help yourself from falling" might be refering to how prejudism and racism and sexism and all that is there, and how most people ARE prejudice and stuff, so it's not hard to become it yourself.
I'm in love with this song, one of my favorite Aerosmith songs. :D