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 went where all the girls are beautiful
Golden hair and radiant smiles
And cocaine high oblivion to pain
It made me feel so damn inadequate
And insane for the feel good feeling
High inside their helium trancemade vapor
Feeling grim and grimy
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
To where I want to be today
But lonely ain't a word with me
Absurd you see in crowded rooms
That's where it hits me
Splits me right in half and out spills the emptiness
And no one wants to talk with someone
Cut in two and blue acting werewolf crazy
And hairdooed and out of control
Would you like some company
No thanks I've had my fill today
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
I want to ride this party off into the sunset I
T's a mystery to me to see this girl over here
With the beer and the queer and the look
So debonair and she don't care
About this looking so good feeling so fine
Motherfucker that I be cold chilling in the place
Taste yes I've got it plenty any more and I'd be dinty moore
And dental damns and Irish ham and rocket jam I
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
I don my fake fur feather boa lust like Noah
Tiger skin fucking mackin the clones ain't got no style
Wait a while and you can turn on the dial
And see my face with cuties gettin so much booty I
T's my duty to rock this fucker like Stan getz
Get your paws off my cigarettes
I smoke sherman you german looking vermin
You're squirmin now
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Golden hair and radiant smiles
And cocaine high oblivion to pain
It made me feel so damn inadequate
And insane for the feel good feeling
High inside their helium trancemade vapor
Feeling grim and grimy
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
To where I want to be today
But lonely ain't a word with me
Absurd you see in crowded rooms
That's where it hits me
Splits me right in half and out spills the emptiness
And no one wants to talk with someone
Cut in two and blue acting werewolf crazy
And hairdooed and out of control
Would you like some company
No thanks I've had my fill today
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
I want to ride this party off into the sunset I
T's a mystery to me to see this girl over here
With the beer and the queer and the look
So debonair and she don't care
About this looking so good feeling so fine
Motherfucker that I be cold chilling in the place
Taste yes I've got it plenty any more and I'd be dinty moore
And dental damns and Irish ham and rocket jam I
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
I don my fake fur feather boa lust like Noah
Tiger skin fucking mackin the clones ain't got no style
Wait a while and you can turn on the dial
And see my face with cuties gettin so much booty I
T's my duty to rock this fucker like Stan getz
Get your paws off my cigarettes
I smoke sherman you german looking vermin
You're squirmin now
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Oh Tokyo's not far enough away
Lyrics submitted by pablo_joe_jingy
Tokyo Lyrics as written by Robert Schneider
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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one of my favorite songs of bob schneiders, i see this as a song about severe social alienation, and trying to deal with it. this song definitely fits in with the saying "youre never more alone than in a crowd," and even alludes to it. the narrator/singer/whatever doesnt feel like he could ever get away from his problems, and in the second half of the song, tries to compensate for his alienation by doing himself up in clothes and decking himself out with a false sense of self-esteem which, as the song suggests by ending with the chorus, fails miserably, leaving him where he began.