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.
One, two
One, two, three, ow
Wake up, kids
We got the dreamers disease
Age fourteen, they got you down on your knees
So polite, we're busy still saying please
Frienemies, who when you're down ain't your friend
Every night we smash a Mercedes-Benz
First we run, and then we laugh 'til we cry
But when the night is falling
You cannot find the light (light)
You feel your dreams are dying
Hold tight
You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget
We only get what we give
I'm comin' home, baby
You're tops
Give it to me now
4 AM, we ran a miracle mile
We're flat broke
But hey, we do it in style
The bad rich
God's flying in for your trial
But when the night is falling
You cannot find a friend (friend)
You feel your tree is breaking
Just bend
You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget
We only get what we give
This whole damn world could fall apart
You'll be okay, follow your heart
You're in harm's way, I'm right behind
Now say you're mine
You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget
We only get what we give
Don't let go
I feel the music in you
Don't let go
Fly high, high
What's real can't die
You only get what you give
You're gonna get what you give
Don't give up
Just don't be afraid to leave
Health insurance, rip off lying
FDA, big bankers buying
Fake computer crashes dining
Cloning while they're multiplying
Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson
Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson
You're all fakes
Run to your mansions
Come around, we'll kick your asses
Don't let go
One dance left
Don't give up
Can't forget
Don't let go
One, two, three, ow
Wake up, kids
We got the dreamers disease
Age fourteen, they got you down on your knees
So polite, we're busy still saying please
Frienemies, who when you're down ain't your friend
Every night we smash a Mercedes-Benz
First we run, and then we laugh 'til we cry
But when the night is falling
You cannot find the light (light)
You feel your dreams are dying
Hold tight
You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget
We only get what we give
I'm comin' home, baby
You're tops
Give it to me now
4 AM, we ran a miracle mile
We're flat broke
But hey, we do it in style
The bad rich
God's flying in for your trial
But when the night is falling
You cannot find a friend (friend)
You feel your tree is breaking
Just bend
You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget
We only get what we give
This whole damn world could fall apart
You'll be okay, follow your heart
You're in harm's way, I'm right behind
Now say you're mine
You've got the music in you
Don't let go
You've got the music in you
One dance left
This world is gonna pull through
Don't give up
You've got a reason to live
Can't forget
We only get what we give
Don't let go
I feel the music in you
Don't let go
Fly high, high
What's real can't die
You only get what you give
You're gonna get what you give
Don't give up
Just don't be afraid to leave
Health insurance, rip off lying
FDA, big bankers buying
Fake computer crashes dining
Cloning while they're multiplying
Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson
Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson
You're all fakes
Run to your mansions
Come around, we'll kick your asses
Don't let go
One dance left
Don't give up
Can't forget
Don't let go
Lyrics submitted by Novartza, edited by SunsetCake
You Get What You Give Lyrics as written by Rick Nowels Gregg Alexander
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Spirit Music Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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When I first heard and fell in love with this song, I was fourteen. And guess what, I also have the dreamer's disease (I kid you not).
I hadn't heard this song in years, and when they played once again on the radio, I remembered why it's my favorite tune. This song is about perseverance, self-belief, optimism, staying true to yourself, going for your dreams, enjoying your life, not caring what people think and believing that if you give you will be rewarded.
This song will always life your spirits up. Thank you Gregg Alexander and New Radicals for such a masterpiece!
I meant to say that this song will always LIFT your spirits up :)
Agreed with everything you said, 100% Hitman. I would have been 14 when this song first came out too, and I've always liked it, but the last 3 years its gradually grown on me, and now im starting to contemplate calling it my favourite song of all time!!!
dude, same with me :) Loved this song when I was younger, ran into it on the radio about a couple of months ago and love it even more now
New Radicals... a bit more poppy than anything else I listen to, but God, I love this band. And this song... holy shit. This song IS MY LIFE. I've got the dreamers disease, I have my crazy moments, I live by music, and I've had thousands of conversations with my friends about being "flat broke". This is a song every single person should listen to, because I have a feeling it's not just my life... it's the life of every single fucking human being out there. And that's what makes it so great.
This song is just about sticking to yourself. Not giving up. Sometimes life sucks, but don't worry there will be something better down the road. Also, how many of us have had "frienemies"?! We've all had at least one. This guy is just saying that somewhere, there's a calling, there's a reason why we're all here. Such a shame that this group isn't around anymore. This actually is the last song that came out that Joni Mitchell was a fan of!
XX Sunshine,
I battled depression for a couple of years. And you're right--we've all got a reason to live and we should never forget that.
This is a major feel good song, and you can't help but blast it up on those bad bad days!
this song is just so inspirational -- who can feel bad while listening to it! The front man and creative force for this band is Gregg Alexander from Grosse Pointe, Michigan (my own home state). Grosse Pointe is quite a rich area (probably why they added the "e" on the end of Gross and Point!). From what I have read however, Gregg was from your average middle class family and thus the references to 'smash your Mercedes Benz" "frienemies who when you're down ain't your friend" and "The bad rich -- God's flying in for your trial". The liner notes have some other unsung lyrics which are really interesting and further explain his political beliefs. I love the part best where he says:
This whole damn world can fall apart You'll be okay follow your heart You're in harm's way I'm right behind Now say you're mine
It kind of turns it more into a love song for a time.
Another great part it where he calls Beck, Hanson, Courtney Love, and Marilyn Manson fakes and sell-outs, "run to your mansions" Beck isn't too bad musically, Hanson is certainly ok for pre-teen girls. However watching Marilyn Manson just creeps me out too much! And Courtney Love, I am sorry, that's just not music. She is a good screamer yeah, but so am I! Should I dress slutty, and right the coattails of some dead guy, scream my guts out and call it talent? It's like the emperor's new clothes or something - wake up people IT'S NOT MUSIC!
Anyway back to the song I find it suck an upper! Too bad they disbanded. Gregg Alexander is now more into the production side of music. Maybe he was getting too rich and didn't want to sell out. Maybe it scared him having such a monster good song! Who knows! Anyway, too bad for all of us not to be able to look forward to any new stuff coming from that guy!
Also, I just want to say MICHIGAN ROCKS!
@zengirl41 I also hail from Michigan, although I've moved out of state, S.E. MI is still home... and I sorely miss Better Made Red Hots! And.I'd amputate the tip of my left pinkie to have Xochimilicos in my town. <br /> The reason Grosse Pointe is spelled that way is because it was a French town, like many of the older cities in the region, including Detroit. <br /> I love this song too, but I didn't know Gregg was from Michigan. <br /> I don't know if he wrote the complete structural arc of the music behind the lyrics, but whoever it was is a freaking genius, this song musically complex, yet simple, has so many phases with a simple, catchy hook throughout. A perfect balance of maestro and pop.
@zengirl41 I happen to be an all over music person meaning I explore EVERY single type of music and both courtney love and Marilyn Manson arent just 'screaming their guts out' if you paid attention their famous because their lyrics have a different meaning. They sing about how people can misjudge others, or how we take advantage of things for our own selfish desires, sometimes theyll sing something on a bas experience that happened to them. Like courtney sings a specific song called doll parts which i preferably like because shes singing how its hard to be a woman and being judged only on apearence and not on your ideals or morals so its hard. And when he says run to your mansions I think he actually means that by heart we all should consider our homes to be mansions since home is where the heart is and out hearts are big so Thank u for your time and no im not a goth girl I actually look like a typical pink cardigan nerd girl on tv.
Thanks to Theo Hutchcraft, Im now obsessed with this song. I love it!
This is just a perty song. It's about being young and having a good time. It is also about not giving up and going for your goals.
And it's altogether appropriate it came at the end of the 1990s. For me, this song sums up the *90s well.
I purchased the CD almost the day it came out, took it home, and listened to this one song over and over for two and a half hours. What an emotional high - the lyrics, the musical style, it all came together. The next day I went down to the church and played it on the piano - top to bottom - having memorized the chords. It is still one of my favorites to play, and I have been playing for 30 years. What an upbeat, down-to-earth tribute to humanity!
I love this song... methinks it*s a real shame that they are a "one hit wonder" ((not that that matters)) but that the split because of that! grr.
As I pointed out in reply above, New Radicals did have a follow up song, "Someday We'll Know".