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.
You pack your bags And you move to the city
There's somethin' missin' here at home
You fix your hair and you're lookin' real pretty
It's time to get it out on your own
You're always fightin' with your mama and you papa
Your family life is one big pain!
When you, you gonna move to the city?
Into the city where it all began
You gotta move, you gotta move
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma
Time you gotta move
You stole your mama's car
And your daddy's plastic credit card
You're sixteen and you can't get a job
You're not goin' very far
You're always ridin' with the teachers and the police
This life is much too insane
When you, you gonna move to the city?
Into the city where it all began
You gotta move, you gotta move
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma
Time you gotta move
Right to the city Where the real men get it
Aw, child, ain't it a pity?
Sometimes it gets too shitty
Come on and hit me
You're on the streets And it ain't so pretty
You need to get a new what you please
You do what you gotta do for the money
At times you end up on your knees
I'm always buyin' With the local and the junkies
This city life is one big pain!
But you, you had to move to the city
Into the city where it all began
You gotta move, you gotta move
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma
Time you gotta move
Oh right to the city With the real nitty gritty
Aw, child, ain't it a pity?
Sometimes it gets too shitty
Come on and hit me
There's somethin' missin' here at home
You fix your hair and you're lookin' real pretty
It's time to get it out on your own
You're always fightin' with your mama and you papa
Your family life is one big pain!
When you, you gonna move to the city?
Into the city where it all began
You gotta move, you gotta move
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma
Time you gotta move
You stole your mama's car
And your daddy's plastic credit card
You're sixteen and you can't get a job
You're not goin' very far
You're always ridin' with the teachers and the police
This life is much too insane
When you, you gonna move to the city?
Into the city where it all began
You gotta move, you gotta move
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma
Time you gotta move
Right to the city Where the real men get it
Aw, child, ain't it a pity?
Sometimes it gets too shitty
Come on and hit me
You're on the streets And it ain't so pretty
You need to get a new what you please
You do what you gotta do for the money
At times you end up on your knees
I'm always buyin' With the local and the junkies
This city life is one big pain!
But you, you had to move to the city
Into the city where it all began
You gotta move, you gotta move
Ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma
Time you gotta move
Oh right to the city With the real nitty gritty
Aw, child, ain't it a pity?
Sometimes it gets too shitty
Come on and hit me
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Come on and hit me??? Is he wanting to have sex with her?... other than that part of the song I think the rest is self explanatory
Definately about the same thing as Welcome to the Jungle, the rough streets of L.A.
Move to the city might be about L.A. but Axl and people close to him say welcome to the jungle isn't.
I love the live version when they extend the song, and they sound like a big band from the 30's. lol
This song is awesome. I dont know why nobody has wrote here yet.
The come on and hit me might just be because it rhymes and sounds cool... I really don't know. There should definitely be more comments on this- especially is you have live era. Axl's vocals and the instrumentals at the end are awesome. GN'R rocks!
this song gets me pumped. im moving to the city mid year, im over this house im staying in
This song is about teen angst... feeling sooo repressed at home.. wanting to get out and live the exciting city life. And finding out underneath every silver lining......
Btw the line... "right to the city where the real men get it"... should be changed to "right to the city with the real nitty gritty"
and also "you need to get a new what you please, you do what you gotta do for the money, at times you end up on your knees" should be "At least you get to do what you please, you do what you gotta do for the money, it's time to get down on your knees".
Sounds like an aerosmith song