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.
Words fall from my mouth
Like plates from shaking hands
Smash upon the silence
Of the smooth naked canal
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot
Not a lot I couldn't do
I like how you pretend
That the end will be the end
So fill your thirst
Drink a curse
To the death of death instead
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot, not a lot I wouldn't do
Utrecht led me to the Sacre Coeur
Where the smoke curled round
Now the ice blows of Lake Michigan
When the ice blows
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
Your teeth are black with wine
As you place those lips on mine
And the moon hangs heavy and forbidden high
On the night of our lives
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot
Not a lot we couldn't do
Yeah, evil like you
Oh, evil like you
Whoa, evil like you
Oh, evil like you
Like plates from shaking hands
Smash upon the silence
Of the smooth naked canal
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot
Not a lot I couldn't do
I like how you pretend
That the end will be the end
So fill your thirst
Drink a curse
To the death of death instead
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot, not a lot I wouldn't do
Utrecht led me to the Sacre Coeur
Where the smoke curled round
Now the ice blows of Lake Michigan
When the ice blows
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
The ice flows knocks you down
Your teeth are black with wine
As you place those lips on mine
And the moon hangs heavy and forbidden high
On the night of our lives
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm evil and a heathen
I'm a heathen and evil like you
There's not a lot
Not a lot we couldn't do
Yeah, evil like you
Oh, evil like you
Whoa, evil like you
Oh, evil like you
Lyrics submitted by GoochyLittlePig
Evil and a Heathen Lyrics as written by Nicholas John Mccarthy Alexander Paul Kapranos Huntley
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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This song is about 'forbidden' sex, imho. Gay, infidelity, whatever... it is up to the listener. Here's my take:
Words fall from my mouth Like plates from shaking hands Smash upon the silence Of the smooth naked canal
Stuttering and sputtering and being struck speechless when confronted with the object of one's lust's naked body.
I like how you pretend That the end will be the end So fill up first then Drink a curse To the death of death instead
I like that you pretend there is no heaven or hell - no consequences. Let's get drunk and pretend that we'll never die instead.
Utrecht led me to the Sacré Coeur Where the smoke curled round Now the ice blows off Lake Michigan When the ice blows, The ice floe knocks you down
I've been to church - I know about religion, but in the real world, life is hard.
Your teeth are black with wine As you place those lips on mine the moon hangs heavy and forbidden high On the...night of our lives
Uh-huh... self-explanatory. :) Or, OMG this feels good.
Well I'm evil and a heathen I'm a heathen and evil like you There's not a lot Not a lot I couldn't do
I am willing to be 'bad'. And so are you.
I think this would make a great future single.
My favorite line: "Your teeth are black with wine/As you place those lips on mine"
This could have been called 'Around the World in 3 and a half minutes by what the verses say
Is it a bad sign when I find this song speaks perfectly to me?
I swear, on this one all you do is submit yourself to the darker side and listen as the warplanes with searchlights fly over you.
@foreign_hand it's about gay/lesbi sex.
This song, like most of FF songs, rings of homosexuality. Gays are seens as evils and heathens in the Catholic Church. The line about Utrecht relates to an uprising against the church hundreds of years ago. Read more about it here - torc.blogspot.com/2005_02_27_torc_archive.html
cactusdave, please, it's understandable that you don't like a band, but you don't have to ruin everyone else's fun by posting here.
In point of fact, Franz Ferdinand have never written a song about real homosexuality, Michael is essentially an inside joke about two of the band's friends dancing together at a club, the song Do You Want To is sung from a female perspective and this song is about sleeping with a bad girl, who, under different circumstances you would completely ignore, but due to alcohol and possibly drugs, you give in.
Why is it such a big deal whether or not they've written a song about homosexuality? Granted, this one, when understood in the initial context, is not about being gay but if they did have one that was actually a 'homosexual' song what difference would it make?
I really like this song... I don't think it really relates to homosexuality... being non-Christian or anti-Christian really doesn't have much to do with sexuality, at least it shouldn't. [CactusDave] and [TheFranzFerdinand] I can hardly believe people would like or dislike a band based on sexuality... not that Franz Ferdinand are even gay from what they've said.
sorry to double post, but does anyone understand the first verse? Its kinda drawn me to agree with cactusdave, what with the ambiguous meaning of 'canal', do we think canal refers to anatomy, as in a tube or duct? Kinda sexual.
Its about realising the potiential evilness inside you, nothing to do with homosexuality or anything dodgey like that,