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.
Billion dollar baby
Rubber little lady, slicker than a weasel
Grimy as an alley, loves me like no other lover
Billion dollar baby
Rotten little monster, baby, I adore ya
Man or woman living couldn't love me like you, baby
We go dancing nightly in the attic
While the moon is rising in the sky
If I'm too rough, tell me
I'm so scared your little head will come off in my hands
Yeah, billion dollar baby
I got you in the dimestore
No other little girl could ever hold you
Any tighter, any tighter than me, baby
Billion dollar baby
Reckless like a gambler, million dollar maybe
Fight me like a dog that's been infected by the rabies
We go dancing nightly in the attic
While the moon is rising in the sky
If I'm too rough, tell me
I'm so scared your little head will come off in my hands
Million dollar baby (yeah)
Billion dollar baby
Trillion dollar baby
Zillion dollar baby
Rubber little lady, slicker than a weasel
Grimy as an alley, loves me like no other lover
Billion dollar baby
Rotten little monster, baby, I adore ya
Man or woman living couldn't love me like you, baby
We go dancing nightly in the attic
While the moon is rising in the sky
If I'm too rough, tell me
I'm so scared your little head will come off in my hands
Yeah, billion dollar baby
I got you in the dimestore
No other little girl could ever hold you
Any tighter, any tighter than me, baby
Billion dollar baby
Reckless like a gambler, million dollar maybe
Fight me like a dog that's been infected by the rabies
We go dancing nightly in the attic
While the moon is rising in the sky
If I'm too rough, tell me
I'm so scared your little head will come off in my hands
Million dollar baby (yeah)
Billion dollar baby
Trillion dollar baby
Zillion dollar baby
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In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
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.
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Nope..!
This song was a tribute to their success with the Killer album "Dead babies". This was the beginning of shock-rock.
When Killer come out, the song Dead babies was their really first super-contraversial song. Alice Cooper already had learned (from the name) the negative publicity was best kind of publicity. The negative publicity of "Dead babies" hit the roof.
To me, Killer was Alice's best. Even still. Brutal Planet was pretty good and it's follow up album Dragon Town. But they still pale in comparison.
Dead babies, (incase you do not know) is a song about a child that dies due to parent's neglect.
The song is erie as it talks about such a cold blooded topic, sung almost in a pop music format. But gets heavier and heavier as it sweeps you away with orchastrated rock...
The song does make you want to cry. If your driving down the road you may want to pull over so you can hide your head.
I love how the song at the end winds up in a courtroom with people yelling "murderer murderer, hang him hang him" and then proceeds to the next song about a guy who murdered somebody.
RJ
I think the song has many meanings. The album Billion Dollar Babies came rigt after Killer which contained the song Dead Babies. Dead Babies was so controversal back then it brought them fame instantly. Maybe that was their billion dollar baby? So they capitolized on it.
The term Billion Dollar Babies means babies for profit. Black Market Child actors etc... This could mean almost anything profitable as he brings it up again in the song Generation Landslide also from BDB's "And I laughed to myself at the men and the ladies,who never concieved those Billion Dollar Babies"! La da da da da.
The song itself? I think he is fucking a baby doll!" I got you in the dime store no other little girl could ever hold you any tighter than me"
Billion Dollar Babies did not come right after Killer. It came after School's Out.
@uhjigali the white rabbit,adrenochrome,panda eyes chikd torture and sacrafice,etc
I guess it's slightly obvious that dear old Alice sings about what in Swedish is called "uppblåsbar barbara", an inflateable doll for sexual purposes. ( see lines such as "rubber little lady" and "Man or woman living couldn't love me like you, baby")
wicked shit.... great song. metallica kicks ass, u listen to some good music (aerosmithlover).
I tend to agree its about a condom. The album cover is a wallet and the "ring" on it was quite common in the day and it was what prevented their little babies and paternity suits. That being said there is a song from the thirties titled, I think, million dollar babies, and I have no idea what it was about.
metallica fan, now i have: IT'S AWESOME, I like Metallica too!
but on there pages they have virtual punch-ups
This song is a reference to their own fame. Despite the fact they were all still relatively young at the time, they were earning shitloads in royalties.
Yeah, it's about a sex doll. And even though that subject really has nothing to do with anything, I've always thought of this song as the greatest horror rock song ever. I mean, it sounds like it should be, doesn't it?
I read somewhere that this song was about little kids in horror movies, generally the ones that play the "bad guy" (i.e. Exorcist) and get loads of money from it. There was and still is a facination with a little kid being the enemy; the Blade television show on Spike, the remake of that one movie released on 6/6/06 (sorry, already forgot the name and it's been two months). If it is about little kids as bad guys in horror movies, that might explain why it sunds like a horror rock song, as Bonehead pointed out.
Sarroth, the movie you are thinking of is The Omen.