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.
It might be fun to have a kid that I could kick around
a little me to fill up with my thoughts
A little me or he or she to fill up with my dreams
a way of saying life is not a loss
I'd keep the tyke away from school and tutor him myself
keep him from the poison of the crowd
But then again pristine isolation might not be the best idea
it's not good trying to immortalize yourself
Beginning of a great adventure
Beginning of a great adventure
Why stop at one, I might have ten, a regular TV brood
I'd breed a little liberal army in the wood
Just like these redneck lunatics I see at the local bar
with their tribe of mutant inbred piglets with cloven hooves
I'd teach 'em how to plant a bomb, start a fire, play guitar
and if they catch a hunter, shoot him in the nuts
I'd try to be as progressive as I could possibly be
as long as I don't have to try too much
Beginning of a great adventure
Beginning of a great adventure
Susie, Jesus, Bogart, Sam, Leslie, Jill and Jeff
Rita, Winny, Andy, Fran and Jet
Boris, Bono, Lucy, Ethel, Bunny, Reg and Tom
that's a lot of names to try not to forget
Carrie, Marlon, Mo and Steve, La Rue and Jerry Lee
Eggplant, Rufus, Dummy, Star and The Glob
I'd need a damn computer to keep track of all these names
I hope this baby thing don't go too far
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
I hope it's true what my wife said to me, hey
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
She says, "Baby, it's the beginning of a great adventure"
"Babe, beginning of a great adventure"
take a look
It might be fun to have a kid that I could kick around
create in my own image like a god
I'd raise my own pallbearers to carry me to my grave
and keep me company when I'm a wizened toothless clod
Some gibbering old fool sitting all alone drooling on his shirt
some senile old fart playing in the dirt
It might be fun to have a kid I could pass something on to
something better than rage, pain, anger and hurt
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
She says, "Lou, it's the beginning of a great adventure"
"Lou, Lou, Lou, beginning of a great adventure"
She says, "babe, how you call your lover boy"
"Sylvia, quite you call your lover man"
a little me to fill up with my thoughts
A little me or he or she to fill up with my dreams
a way of saying life is not a loss
I'd keep the tyke away from school and tutor him myself
keep him from the poison of the crowd
But then again pristine isolation might not be the best idea
it's not good trying to immortalize yourself
Beginning of a great adventure
Beginning of a great adventure
Why stop at one, I might have ten, a regular TV brood
I'd breed a little liberal army in the wood
Just like these redneck lunatics I see at the local bar
with their tribe of mutant inbred piglets with cloven hooves
I'd teach 'em how to plant a bomb, start a fire, play guitar
and if they catch a hunter, shoot him in the nuts
I'd try to be as progressive as I could possibly be
as long as I don't have to try too much
Beginning of a great adventure
Beginning of a great adventure
Susie, Jesus, Bogart, Sam, Leslie, Jill and Jeff
Rita, Winny, Andy, Fran and Jet
Boris, Bono, Lucy, Ethel, Bunny, Reg and Tom
that's a lot of names to try not to forget
Carrie, Marlon, Mo and Steve, La Rue and Jerry Lee
Eggplant, Rufus, Dummy, Star and The Glob
I'd need a damn computer to keep track of all these names
I hope this baby thing don't go too far
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
I hope it's true what my wife said to me, hey
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
She says, "Baby, it's the beginning of a great adventure"
"Babe, beginning of a great adventure"
take a look
It might be fun to have a kid that I could kick around
create in my own image like a god
I'd raise my own pallbearers to carry me to my grave
and keep me company when I'm a wizened toothless clod
Some gibbering old fool sitting all alone drooling on his shirt
some senile old fart playing in the dirt
It might be fun to have a kid I could pass something on to
something better than rage, pain, anger and hurt
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
I hope it's true what my wife said to me
She says, "Lou, it's the beginning of a great adventure"
"Lou, Lou, Lou, beginning of a great adventure"
She says, "babe, how you call your lover boy"
"Sylvia, quite you call your lover man"
Lyrics submitted by middleofsomewhere93
Beginning of a Great Adventure Lyrics as written by Michael Rathke Lou Reed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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As someone who never had children, I love this. It's a refreshing break from the usual "childless adult as tragic figure, boo hoo" stuff. I think I read somewhere that his wife actually left him because she wanted children, which goes to show how strongly he felt about not having them. People who don't have children are often characterized as selfish, which is ridiculous. Reproduction is about instinct, it's not an altruistic thing; if it were, all those "selfless" parents would adopt disabled or emotionally troubled, hard-to-place foster children rather than create little copies of themselves. Also, not everyone is cut out to be a parent, some of us are too messed up, and the unselfish act is to forego the pleasures of parenthood for the sake of that would-be child. Belated thanks for this, Lou.
@rosalyre love your comment, wish I’d seen it earlier, thanks!
@rosalyre Hey! I saw your comment in another Lou Reed song. At first I thought you where being hostile towards him. Now I don't care. I think your comments are very valuable here because you take the time and really write about how you feel about the songs in depth.<br /> <br /> I hope you keep expressing yourself as you please in this site. I wish there were more users like you. And no, I don't think we much in common, I just love when someone is a valuable contributor. Have a good one!