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.
Adelaide
On a plane
Far from the united states
Of LA
Dropping in from outer space
Takes a day
Now I see the Bogans
At the motor race
Here you know the world could turn
Or crash and burn
And you would never know it
Going where the air is clear
There's better beer in Adelaide
Charlie L. Smith's forty
Someone spiked my rice
The rest, history
Now I am a fixture down
Rundle Mall
Watching as the locals pass
Silver balls
I can see their eyes around
They're pointed down
They scan the spanning sidewalks
Learning that there is no hurry
Fuss or worry
Adelaide
It's raining
In Adelaide
A face is waiting in a window
A voice says
Why Adelaide
You could live anywhere and I say
Because I want to
Because I want to
I really really want to
And you know the earth could turn
Or crash and burn
And you would never know it
Really got to make it to the finish line
Get the record done on time
Pack the bags
And catch a flight
And you can kiss my ass goodbye
On Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide
On a plane
Far from the united states
Of LA
Dropping in from outer space
Takes a day
Now I see the Bogans
At the motor race
Here you know the world could turn
Or crash and burn
And you would never know it
Going where the air is clear
There's better beer in Adelaide
Charlie L. Smith's forty
Someone spiked my rice
The rest, history
Now I am a fixture down
Rundle Mall
Watching as the locals pass
Silver balls
I can see their eyes around
They're pointed down
They scan the spanning sidewalks
Learning that there is no hurry
Fuss or worry
Adelaide
It's raining
In Adelaide
A face is waiting in a window
A voice says
Why Adelaide
You could live anywhere and I say
Because I want to
Because I want to
I really really want to
And you know the earth could turn
Or crash and burn
And you would never know it
Really got to make it to the finish line
Get the record done on time
Pack the bags
And catch a flight
And you can kiss my ass goodbye
On Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide
Lyrics submitted by jack_the_brat
Adelaide Lyrics as written by Benjamin Scott Folds Ben Folds
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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ok ok I'm an Adelaide girl, I've lived here my entire life so I'd like to add a couple of comments. I'd just like to clear things up. 1) I'd hardly call Adelaide cheap. You'd be hard pressed to find a house big enough for a family of five to live in in the eastern/south eastern suburbs (and lets face it, where else would you want to live in adelaide?) for under $1 mil. 2) the bunting fiasco. yes ok the murders were bruta l and grizzly, but psychopaths exist anywhere, they're not confined to adelaide. perhaps little old sleepy adelaide breeds this kind of person cos there's not much else to do? ha, just joking. and also, they're one episode in our history. an exceptionally disgusting moment, but just remember that the killers involved in the snowtown murders all got sent off to jail for life, IIRC. so justive was served. 3) yes adelaide is a bit slow sometimes, but we get there. it really comes alive in march, with all of the festivals so thats good. and frankly, while we don't have all of the "mod-cons" that the eastern states have, we have awesome festivals, the best restaurants food and wine, world renowned universities and great schools, the most beautiful holiday spots just an hour away (such as the fleurieu peninsula and the barossa valley) and everyone knows everyone. there's an intimacy that can't be found in larger cities. also where i live, i'm 6km away as the crow flies from the CBD but my house is in amongst the gum trees, and we have koalas in our backyard. i don't know many other australian cities where you have koalas 6km away from the CBD. adelaide is (ironically considering the history of the state) a fairly conservative little place, and a little bit sleepy. we don't have 24 hour supermarkets, our airport can't even take 747's, we have a major expressway that can only take traffic going one way and not the other, our PT system sucks, we have a city council that stands in the way of major development and lots of people drift interstate/overseas after having completed school/uni to get more opportunities. it's for reasons like this that we're laughed at by the eastern states - for reasons like this that people question why anyone would WANT to live here. but basically this song is kind of saying, despite the oversized-country-town feel at times, adelaide's a great place to live and don't mock me for it. and as a proud RADelaidean :) (hahaha sorry couldn't resist), i couldn't agree more. and adelaide does have it's positive attributes, and this is just my personal opinion but i strongly believe that adelaide will come alive again like it did under Dunstan... we just need a competent government and a bit of a paradigm shift, that's all. adelaide has a lot going for it, and i think that's what ben's trying to get across in this song. and frankly, it's a farkin fantastic place to live. i'm moving overseas to complete secondary school in a couple of weeks, and i might go to university overseas as well, and who knows where that will take me, but i know for sure that based on my experiences, wherever i am in the world, i want MY children growing up in adelaide, if only for a small part of their lives.
i live in Adelaide, its a city in South Australia. Ben recently moved here. I dont particularly like the song itself, but the lyrics arent bad - "theres better beer in adelaide" - every australian can tell you thats a known fact.
With you 100%. I'm from Melbourne but I'm sure the beer there is just as cold as it is here. Put it in a microwave and you'll get something out of Blackpool rather than Adelaide.
Actually, Ben moved to Adelaide quite a while ago and he doesnt live here anymore.
¨And you know the earth could turn Or crash and burn And you would never know it ¨
Im sure he meant that in a positive way, but Id like to call it ignorant. Why hear about world wars or poverty when we can have live coverage of the Royal Adelaide Show?
The whole song just shows that Adelaide has no other worries but Adelaide. Ben obviously likes Adelaide because it isnt a fast paced life. I can really understand that, Ben, but maybe we arent fast paced enough.
Ben still rocks my socks though.
He does indeed live in the States, thanks. He lives in Nashville, a few blocks from Belmont college. I have a friend who sees him playing in his yard with his kids.
I heard him on Air America a couple weeks ago. He was saying he's just - relatively recently - moved to Nashville from Adelaide because it was too remote and too hard to get stuff done from Adelaide. So you're ALL right.
I think these lyrics are some of his most unimpressive, (they're ok, but I've come to expect more from him, lyrically) but I love the song. The bridge is beautiful.
Despite the loving description provided by Mr. Folds Adelaide has one of the most violent histories of any town on earth.
crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/adelaide/corpses_1.html
After reading that I just don't hear the song the same way I used to.
Omg that murder thing is such a lie
Just cause we had a few bad things happen NOT EVEN IN ADELAIDE doesn't change the way of our city. Adelaide is pretty much a hole for a 15 year old rich bored girl (like me) but it's a pretty hole, a hole with nice houses and nice people and parklands.
I don't wanna make it seem that we're all stuck up losers or anything (private schools do that do you) but like, we're not crime ridden. I'm sure there are way worse places in South Africa and South America and, like, even the US.
AAAAAAAnyway, Sorry about that!
yeah dumbblondechick i agree with the whole murder adelaide thing but wtf is wrong with u? who are u trying to impress with implying to be so rich? i come from australia too and i hope not all of you SA schoolers are as immature!
I'm trying to impress anyone or anything, I have no idea why I wrote that to begin with. Sounds so stupid now! Lol. Anyway, sorry bout that. :(
oops not. sorry stuffed up again :S