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.
Drivin' home this evening
I coulda sworn we had it all worked out
You had this boy believin'
Way beyond the shadow of a doubt, yeah
Well I heard it on the street
I heard you mighta found somebody new, yeah
Well who is he baby, who is he
And tell me what he means to you, oh yeah
I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That you'd be letting go
Now it cuts like a knife
But it feels so right
Yeah, it cuts like a knife
Oh, but it feels so right
There's times I've been mistaken
There's times I thought I'd been misunderstood, ooo yeah
So wait a minute darlin'
Can't you see we did the best we could, ooo we could
Wouldn't be the first time
That things have gone astray
Now you've thrown it all away
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right
Oh it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right
Oh it's cut like a knife
But it feels so right, baby
Oh it cuts like a knife, yeah
I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That you'd be letting go
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right, mmm
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah, but it feels so right
Yeah
Oh it cuts like a knife
Oh oh
But it feels so right, baby
Oh yeah
It cuts like a knife
Now give it to me now
Oh yeah, come on boys, awh
Cuts like a knife, yeah yeah yeah
Na, it cuts like a knife now
It feels so right, yeah yeah
It feels so right, baby
Na na yeah, it feels so right
And it cuts like a knife
I coulda sworn we had it all worked out
You had this boy believin'
Way beyond the shadow of a doubt, yeah
Well I heard it on the street
I heard you mighta found somebody new, yeah
Well who is he baby, who is he
And tell me what he means to you, oh yeah
I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That you'd be letting go
Now it cuts like a knife
But it feels so right
Yeah, it cuts like a knife
Oh, but it feels so right
There's times I've been mistaken
There's times I thought I'd been misunderstood, ooo yeah
So wait a minute darlin'
Can't you see we did the best we could, ooo we could
Wouldn't be the first time
That things have gone astray
Now you've thrown it all away
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right
Oh it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right
Oh it's cut like a knife
But it feels so right, baby
Oh it cuts like a knife, yeah
I took it all for granted
But how was I to know
That you'd be letting go
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah but it feels so right, mmm
Now it cuts like a knife
Yeah, but it feels so right
Yeah
Oh it cuts like a knife
Oh oh
But it feels so right, baby
Oh yeah
It cuts like a knife
Now give it to me now
Oh yeah, come on boys, awh
Cuts like a knife, yeah yeah yeah
Na, it cuts like a knife now
It feels so right, yeah yeah
It feels so right, baby
Na na yeah, it feels so right
And it cuts like a knife
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