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.
Sandy the fireworks are hailin' over little Eden tonight
Forcin' a light into all those stony faces left stranded on this fourth of July
Down in town the circuit's full of switchblade lovers so fast, so shiny, so sharp
As the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark
And the boys from the casino dance
With their shirts open like Latin lovers on the shore
Chasin' all them silly New York virgins by the score
And Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
This pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh love me tonight for I may never see you again
Hey Sandy girl
My, my baby
Now the greasers, ah they tramp the streets
Or get busted for sleeping on the beach all night
Them boys in their high heels ah Sandy their skins are so white
And me I just got tired of hangin' in them dusty arcades
Bangin' them pleasure machines
Chasin' the factory girls underneath the boardwalk
Where they all promise to unsnap their jeans
And you know that tilt-a-whirl down on the south beach drag
I got on it last night and my shirt got caught
And they kept me spinnin' I didn't think I'd ever get off
Oh Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
This pier lights our carnival life on the water
Laughin' 'neath the boardwalk, ah, with the boss's daughter
I remember Sandy girl, na, na, na, na, na baby
Sandy that waitress I was seeing lost her desire for me
I spoke with her last night
She said she won't set herself on fire for me anymore
She worked that joint under the boardwalk
She was always the girl you saw boppin' down the beach with the radio
The kids say last night she was dressed like a star
In one of them cheap little seaside bars
And I saw her parked with lover boy out on the Kokomo
Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie
For tellin' fortunes better than they do
For me this boardwalk life is through, babe
You ought to quit this scene too
Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
This pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh, love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever
Oh, I mean it, Sandy, girl
My, my, my, my, my baby
Yeah, I promise, Sandy, girl
Sha, la, la, la, la, baby
Forcin' a light into all those stony faces left stranded on this fourth of July
Down in town the circuit's full of switchblade lovers so fast, so shiny, so sharp
As the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark
And the boys from the casino dance
With their shirts open like Latin lovers on the shore
Chasin' all them silly New York virgins by the score
And Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
This pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh love me tonight for I may never see you again
Hey Sandy girl
My, my baby
Now the greasers, ah they tramp the streets
Or get busted for sleeping on the beach all night
Them boys in their high heels ah Sandy their skins are so white
And me I just got tired of hangin' in them dusty arcades
Bangin' them pleasure machines
Chasin' the factory girls underneath the boardwalk
Where they all promise to unsnap their jeans
And you know that tilt-a-whirl down on the south beach drag
I got on it last night and my shirt got caught
And they kept me spinnin' I didn't think I'd ever get off
Oh Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
This pier lights our carnival life on the water
Laughin' 'neath the boardwalk, ah, with the boss's daughter
I remember Sandy girl, na, na, na, na, na baby
Sandy that waitress I was seeing lost her desire for me
I spoke with her last night
She said she won't set herself on fire for me anymore
She worked that joint under the boardwalk
She was always the girl you saw boppin' down the beach with the radio
The kids say last night she was dressed like a star
In one of them cheap little seaside bars
And I saw her parked with lover boy out on the Kokomo
Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie
For tellin' fortunes better than they do
For me this boardwalk life is through, babe
You ought to quit this scene too
Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
This pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh, love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever
Oh, I mean it, Sandy, girl
My, my, my, my, my baby
Yeah, I promise, Sandy, girl
Sha, la, la, la, la, baby
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some corrections:
The title is actually "Sandy (Fourth of July, Asbury Park )"
In curious, it is "This pier lights..." instead of "The Pier lights"
First stanza:
"Forcing a light into all them stony faces left stranded on this warm July."
"And the boys from the casino dance like with shirts open like Latin lovers on the shore, chasing all them silly New York virgins, trying to score"
second stanza "I got on it last night and my shirt got caught, man it kept me spinning, didn't think I'd ever get off."
"Running, laughing, 'neath the boardwalk, ah with the bosses daughter"
third stanza: "Sandy, that waitress I was seeing lost her desire for me. I spoke to her last night - she said she won't said herself on fire for me anymore. She worked at that joint under the boardwalk she was always the girl you saw boppin down the beach with the radio. The kids say last night she was dressed like a star in one of those cheap little seaside bars and I saw her parked with loverboy out on the Kokomo. Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie for telling fortunes better than they do? For me this boardwalks life's through, babe. You ought to quit this scene too."
I can't believe there's only one comment on this song... This is the original Bruce, full of passion and feeling... I love this song so much.
I LOVE listening to this on a rainy day...
cbacci, the title of the song is "4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)".
These lyrics are of a live version, not the studio version - so that's why there's the difference with the Angels/waitress I was seeing line etc. The version I think it's using is the Hammersmith Apollo '75 version.