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.
It's a critical solution, and the east coast got the blues
It's a mass of confusion, like the lies they sell to you
You got a glass-jawed toothache of a mental disease
And they be running 'round back, see them line up on their knees
'Cause the kiss-ass sycophants, throwing penance at your feet
When they got nowhere to go
Watch them come in off the streets
While they're banging out front
Inside they're slamming to the crunch
Go on an throw me to the lions
And the whole damn screaming bunch
'Cause the pissed-off rip-offs, they're everywhere you turn
Tell me how a generation's ever supposed to learn
This fire is burning, and it's out of control
It's not a problem you can stop
It's rock n' roll
I read it on a wall, it went straight to my head
It said, "Dance to the tension of a world on edge"
We got racial violence, and who'll cast the first stone?
And sex is used any way it can be
Sometimes, when I look out, it's hard to see the day
It's a feeling, you can have it, it's not mine to take away
Lost in the Garden of Eden
Said, we're lost in the Garden of Eden
And there's no one who's gonna believe this
But we're lost in the Garden of Eden
This fire is burning, and it's out of control
It's not a problem you can stop
It's rock n' roll
Suck on that
Looking through this point of view
There's no way I'm gonna fit in
No, you tell me what my eyes see
Don't you tell me who to believe in
I ain't superstitious, but I know when something's wrong
I've been dragging my heels with a bitch called hope
Let the undercurrent drag me along
Lost in the Garden of Eden
Said, we're lost in the Garden of Eden
And there's no one who's gonna believe this
But we're lost in the Garden of Eden, come on
Most organized religions make a mockery of humanity
Our governments are dangerous and out of control
The Garden of Eden is just another graveyard
Said, if they had someone to buy it
Said, I'm sure they'd sell my soul
This fire is burning, and it's out of control
It's not a problem you can stop
It's rock n' roll
Lost in the Garden of Eden
Said, we're lost in the Garden of Eden
Said, there's no one who's gonna believe this
But we're lost in the Garden of Eden
This fire is burning, and it's out of control
It's not a problem you can stop
It's rock n' roll
It's a mass of confusion, like the lies they sell to you
You got a glass-jawed toothache of a mental disease
And they be running 'round back, see them line up on their knees
'Cause the kiss-ass sycophants, throwing penance at your feet
When they got nowhere to go
Watch them come in off the streets
While they're banging out front
Inside they're slamming to the crunch
Go on an throw me to the lions
And the whole damn screaming bunch
'Cause the pissed-off rip-offs, they're everywhere you turn
Tell me how a generation's ever supposed to learn
This fire is burning, and it's out of control
It's not a problem you can stop
It's rock n' roll
I read it on a wall, it went straight to my head
It said, "Dance to the tension of a world on edge"
We got racial violence, and who'll cast the first stone?
And sex is used any way it can be
Sometimes, when I look out, it's hard to see the day
It's a feeling, you can have it, it's not mine to take away
Lost in the Garden of Eden
Said, we're lost in the Garden of Eden
And there's no one who's gonna believe this
But we're lost in the Garden of Eden
This fire is burning, and it's out of control
It's not a problem you can stop
It's rock n' roll
Suck on that
Looking through this point of view
There's no way I'm gonna fit in
No, you tell me what my eyes see
Don't you tell me who to believe in
I ain't superstitious, but I know when something's wrong
I've been dragging my heels with a bitch called hope
Let the undercurrent drag me along
Lost in the Garden of Eden
Said, we're lost in the Garden of Eden
And there's no one who's gonna believe this
But we're lost in the Garden of Eden, come on
Most organized religions make a mockery of humanity
Our governments are dangerous and out of control
The Garden of Eden is just another graveyard
Said, if they had someone to buy it
Said, I'm sure they'd sell my soul
This fire is burning, and it's out of control
It's not a problem you can stop
It's rock n' roll
Lost in the Garden of Eden
Said, we're lost in the Garden of Eden
Said, there's no one who's gonna believe this
But we're lost in the Garden of Eden
This fire is burning, and it's out of control
It's not a problem you can stop
It's rock n' roll
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Hate this song, way to fast. Seems to put down religion tho it's hard to tell what it's about until you pick through the lyrics. For me it's Guns N Roses worst song.