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.
They hook you up
To a fentanyl drip
To mitigate the pain a little bit
I flew in
From Pennsylvania
When I heard the hour was coming fast
And I docked in Santa Barbara
Tried to brace myself
You can't brace yourself
When the time comes
You just have to roll with the blast
And I'm an eighteen-wheeler headed down the interstate
And my brakes are going to give
And I won't know till it's too late
Tires screaming when I lose control
Try not to hurt too many people when I roll
Find the harbor freeway
And head south
Real tired
Head kind of light
I found Telegraph Road
I'd only seen the name on envelopes
Found the parking lot
And turned right
I felt all the details
Carving out space in my head
Tropicanas on the walk way
Neon red
Between the pain
And the pills trying to hold at bay
Stands a traveler going somewhere far away
And I am airplane tumbling wing over wing
Tried to listen to my instruments
They don't say anything
People screaming when the engines quit
I hope we're all in crash position when we hit
And then came to your bedside
And as it turns out
I'm not ready
And as though
You were speaking through a thick haze
You said hello to me
We all stood there around you
Happy to hear you speak
The last of something bright burning
Still burning
Beyond the cancer and the chemotherapy
And you were a presence full of light upon this earth
And I am a witness to your life and to it's worth
It's three days later when I get the call
And there's nobody around to break my fall
To a fentanyl drip
To mitigate the pain a little bit
I flew in
From Pennsylvania
When I heard the hour was coming fast
And I docked in Santa Barbara
Tried to brace myself
You can't brace yourself
When the time comes
You just have to roll with the blast
And I'm an eighteen-wheeler headed down the interstate
And my brakes are going to give
And I won't know till it's too late
Tires screaming when I lose control
Try not to hurt too many people when I roll
Find the harbor freeway
And head south
Real tired
Head kind of light
I found Telegraph Road
I'd only seen the name on envelopes
Found the parking lot
And turned right
I felt all the details
Carving out space in my head
Tropicanas on the walk way
Neon red
Between the pain
And the pills trying to hold at bay
Stands a traveler going somewhere far away
And I am airplane tumbling wing over wing
Tried to listen to my instruments
They don't say anything
People screaming when the engines quit
I hope we're all in crash position when we hit
And then came to your bedside
And as it turns out
I'm not ready
And as though
You were speaking through a thick haze
You said hello to me
We all stood there around you
Happy to hear you speak
The last of something bright burning
Still burning
Beyond the cancer and the chemotherapy
And you were a presence full of light upon this earth
And I am a witness to your life and to it's worth
It's three days later when I get the call
And there's nobody around to break my fall
Lyrics submitted by brandontheinnocuous, edited by songy44447, Mellow_Harsher
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It might interest people to know that the lyrics on the version of this on the bonus album "The Life of the World in Flux" differ slightly.
The last line is "I wish you were still around to break my fall", in case this song wasn't heartbreaking enough. Also, "Between the cancer and the chemotherapy".
When I saw him perform this live, he sang "demerol" for the first line in place of "fentanyl".