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.
Talk]
These is hard times we livin' in
Churches burnin, planes fallin from the sky
Murder, the good die young
The good definitely die young
This is a lil' somethin'
To help you get through the day
If you could
It was more than a tragedy
Emotions be grabbin' me
Plane fell from the sky
We tryin' to figure what happened
Burnin' churches, fearin' God
Who can be so cruel
We all ignorant to AIDS
Till it happens to you
Just be a man, make plans
Listen to your voice
A woman's tryin' to make decisions
We should leave them a choice
Cause who are we to say who lives and die
Breathes and stops
All this judgement on other lives
Needs to stop
What are we livin' for
Givin' more back than takin'
On my knees still waitin' for my own salvation
Now I feel abandoned
cause Pat Bucanan say I'm greedy
You can take my taxes, send me to war
But can't feed me
It's so easy to regret things
After they done
Babies catchin' murder cases
Scared to laugh in the sun
The tragedies that we all need
Love in doses
In times like these we feel closest
The good die young
Does anybody have an answer why
It seems the good die young
Can anybody tell me why
Can anybody tell me why (2x)
Now in my world will it get worse
When I been trapped since birth
But I had to sleep in a hearse
Cause it was my bed first
My grands probably burnin'
Turnin' in they grave
Some folks ain't even get to see a high age
But they did so I ain't afraid
And this money got me feelin like a star
And this murder got me
Feelin like my death ain't far
And the land (?) and stolen cars
Don't get no better
Don't get no weaker or no harder
I was raised in a rush without my moms
And my father
So tell me somethin
If I grab my gat and get the dumpin'
Would God get to lookin' at me funny
Rest in peace to my mother Aquillah Beale
Rest in peace to my father Salek Beale
Rest in peace to my grandparents
And thug in peace to my brother Seike
You know I love you
Witch world first storms (?) and then Al
Pac and then Yak
Redrey (?) Brown
Coulda' sworn I seen ya face in a cloud
Family grievin' on your last breath
Close to the heart whether you know it or not
I swear the love won't stop
Jewel, that's my boo
Mom, Duke and Lou
From jump
You kept it true, helped to feed the crew
The good die young
Livin' fast jumpin' the gun
Mama blamin' the community for killin' her son
My cousin Darren wasn't scared of goin'
But never knowin' he was dyin' slower
I guess I see ya when I see ya soulja
Does anybody have an answer why
It seems the good die young
Can anybody tell me why
Can anybody tell me why
I know my life ain't promised
That's why the wise move in silence
Analize these scandalous times
It's hard dogg but we manage
Schools turn to war zones
Even homes unsafe
Leavin' children to play caged and raged
They hate, how come
Someone explain why the good die young
Why the bad die slow and outlive everyone
It's time somethin' is done
For our young kids
They growin' opus (??)
That ain't the way to live
Tell me why
Days go past and as they pass
Time move quicker
No time for wastin'
Put your hustle down my young dealers
Cause the end is nearer
But at least that's what they tellin' me
Hell, all I know brothers
Ain't ridin' 4 3 felonys
It's time to plan, plot, and strategize
Capitolize, mobilize
We in the war y'all
It's for all y'all
My family to the ones that stabbed (?) me
Little bit mo' love is what's recommended
Yeah, and it's plain to see
The seeds from you and me
Gon' be the ones to lead us towards unity
That's if we treat them right
Man, teach them right
Raise your kids better than you was
And see what it does
But if you don't
Man, we sho' to be done
We'll all see exactly why the good die young
Does anybody have an answer why
It seems the good die young
Can anybody tell me why
Can anybody tell me why (2x)
[Talk]
This is for all my homeboys that passed away
And all yo' homeboys that passed away
I send this out to all the fallen soldiers
That's in the cemetaries buried
Never got to see they dreams
For everything I touch you touch
For every step I take you take
For every breath I breather you breathe
Every dollar I make you make
I told you we'd make it to the sunshine one day
You just got there a little quicker
But like my homeboys Thugs say
I'll catch ya at the crossroads
The good die young
This song is dedicated to all them
Young kids and people that are innocent
That died young
At Columbine High
Rest in Peace (Oklahoma)
Outlawz
Lil' young Xzandafer
Tasha, all them
All the fallen kids
The dead babies
The closed caskets
These is hard times we livin' in
Churches burnin, planes fallin from the sky
Murder, the good die young
The good definitely die young
This is a lil' somethin'
To help you get through the day
If you could
It was more than a tragedy
Emotions be grabbin' me
Plane fell from the sky
We tryin' to figure what happened
Burnin' churches, fearin' God
Who can be so cruel
We all ignorant to AIDS
Till it happens to you
Just be a man, make plans
Listen to your voice
A woman's tryin' to make decisions
We should leave them a choice
Cause who are we to say who lives and die
Breathes and stops
All this judgement on other lives
Needs to stop
What are we livin' for
Givin' more back than takin'
On my knees still waitin' for my own salvation
Now I feel abandoned
cause Pat Bucanan say I'm greedy
You can take my taxes, send me to war
But can't feed me
It's so easy to regret things
After they done
Babies catchin' murder cases
Scared to laugh in the sun
The tragedies that we all need
Love in doses
In times like these we feel closest
The good die young
Does anybody have an answer why
It seems the good die young
Can anybody tell me why
Can anybody tell me why (2x)
Now in my world will it get worse
When I been trapped since birth
But I had to sleep in a hearse
Cause it was my bed first
My grands probably burnin'
Turnin' in they grave
Some folks ain't even get to see a high age
But they did so I ain't afraid
And this money got me feelin like a star
And this murder got me
Feelin like my death ain't far
And the land (?) and stolen cars
Don't get no better
Don't get no weaker or no harder
I was raised in a rush without my moms
And my father
So tell me somethin
If I grab my gat and get the dumpin'
Would God get to lookin' at me funny
Rest in peace to my mother Aquillah Beale
Rest in peace to my father Salek Beale
Rest in peace to my grandparents
And thug in peace to my brother Seike
You know I love you
Witch world first storms (?) and then Al
Pac and then Yak
Redrey (?) Brown
Coulda' sworn I seen ya face in a cloud
Family grievin' on your last breath
Close to the heart whether you know it or not
I swear the love won't stop
Jewel, that's my boo
Mom, Duke and Lou
From jump
You kept it true, helped to feed the crew
The good die young
Livin' fast jumpin' the gun
Mama blamin' the community for killin' her son
My cousin Darren wasn't scared of goin'
But never knowin' he was dyin' slower
I guess I see ya when I see ya soulja
Does anybody have an answer why
It seems the good die young
Can anybody tell me why
Can anybody tell me why
I know my life ain't promised
That's why the wise move in silence
Analize these scandalous times
It's hard dogg but we manage
Schools turn to war zones
Even homes unsafe
Leavin' children to play caged and raged
They hate, how come
Someone explain why the good die young
Why the bad die slow and outlive everyone
It's time somethin' is done
For our young kids
They growin' opus (??)
That ain't the way to live
Tell me why
Days go past and as they pass
Time move quicker
No time for wastin'
Put your hustle down my young dealers
Cause the end is nearer
But at least that's what they tellin' me
Hell, all I know brothers
Ain't ridin' 4 3 felonys
It's time to plan, plot, and strategize
Capitolize, mobilize
We in the war y'all
It's for all y'all
My family to the ones that stabbed (?) me
Little bit mo' love is what's recommended
Yeah, and it's plain to see
The seeds from you and me
Gon' be the ones to lead us towards unity
That's if we treat them right
Man, teach them right
Raise your kids better than you was
And see what it does
But if you don't
Man, we sho' to be done
We'll all see exactly why the good die young
Does anybody have an answer why
It seems the good die young
Can anybody tell me why
Can anybody tell me why (2x)
[Talk]
This is for all my homeboys that passed away
And all yo' homeboys that passed away
I send this out to all the fallen soldiers
That's in the cemetaries buried
Never got to see they dreams
For everything I touch you touch
For every step I take you take
For every breath I breather you breathe
Every dollar I make you make
I told you we'd make it to the sunshine one day
You just got there a little quicker
But like my homeboys Thugs say
I'll catch ya at the crossroads
The good die young
This song is dedicated to all them
Young kids and people that are innocent
That died young
At Columbine High
Rest in Peace (Oklahoma)
Outlawz
Lil' young Xzandafer
Tasha, all them
All the fallen kids
The dead babies
The closed caskets
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
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My fav lines...
"Someone explain why the good die young Why the bad die slow and outlive everyone It's time somethin' is done"
This is one of my fav. 2pac songs of all time....