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.
I hate purity
I hate goodness
I don't want virtue to exist anywhere
I want everyone corrupted
I am an architect
They call me a butcher
I am a pioneer
They call me primitive
I am purity
They call me perverted
Holding you but I only miss these things when they leave
I am idiot drug hive, the virgin, the tattered and the torn
Life is for the cold made warm and they are just lizards
Self-disgust is self-obsession, honey, and I do as I please
A morality obedient, only to the cleansed repented
I am stronger than Mensa, Miller and Mailer
I spat out Plath and Pinter
I am all the things that you regret
A truth that washes that learnt how to spell
The first time you see yourself naked you cry
Soft skin now acne, foul breath, so broken
He loves me truly this mute solitude I'm draining
I know I believe in nothing but it is my nothing
Sleep can't hide the thoughts splitting through my mind
Shadows aren't clean, false mirrors too many people awake
If you stand up like a nail then you will be knocked down
I've been too honest with myself I should have lied like everybody else
I am stronger than Mensa, Miller and Mailer
I spat out Plath and Pinter
I am all the things that you regret
A truth that washes that learnt how to spell, learnt to spell
So damn easy to cave in, man kills everything
So damn easy to cave in, man kills everything
So damn easy to cave in, man kills everything
So damn easy to cave in, man kills everything
I hate goodness
I don't want virtue to exist anywhere
I want everyone corrupted
I am an architect
They call me a butcher
I am a pioneer
They call me primitive
I am purity
They call me perverted
Holding you but I only miss these things when they leave
I am idiot drug hive, the virgin, the tattered and the torn
Life is for the cold made warm and they are just lizards
Self-disgust is self-obsession, honey, and I do as I please
A morality obedient, only to the cleansed repented
I am stronger than Mensa, Miller and Mailer
I spat out Plath and Pinter
I am all the things that you regret
A truth that washes that learnt how to spell
The first time you see yourself naked you cry
Soft skin now acne, foul breath, so broken
He loves me truly this mute solitude I'm draining
I know I believe in nothing but it is my nothing
Sleep can't hide the thoughts splitting through my mind
Shadows aren't clean, false mirrors too many people awake
If you stand up like a nail then you will be knocked down
I've been too honest with myself I should have lied like everybody else
I am stronger than Mensa, Miller and Mailer
I spat out Plath and Pinter
I am all the things that you regret
A truth that washes that learnt how to spell, learnt to spell
So damn easy to cave in, man kills everything
So damn easy to cave in, man kills everything
So damn easy to cave in, man kills everything
So damn easy to cave in, man kills everything
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I think this song (the greatest of all time, in my humble opinion) is done from the alternating points of view of the main characters in 1984.
-The first four lines are Winston's opinions of the party (please read the book if you don't know what I'm talking about) -The next four are Julia ('I am idiot drug-hive, the virgin...' - she was a member of the junior anti sex league, and '....I do as i please' - she often had sex with party members, including Winston, against the party's plan) -The chorus could be Winston and Julia in unison or just Winston. -The next two lines, 'The first time you see yourself/Naked you cry/Soft skin now acne/Foul breath so broken' are O'Brien's interoggation of Winston. -'He loves me truly....' is Julia -'I know I believe in nothing but it is my nothing.' The song's most famous line is Winston's despair at what the party thinks of him - that his opinions aren't valid and worthless. -Next four are again Winston, even in his dreams he was plauged by the past. -Repeat chorus -'So damn easy to cave in...' is self-explanotory. it's not anyone in 1984, but just one of Richey's own sentiments.
That's just my theory anyway, might not be right but still...