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.
On the first day of March, it was raining
It was raining worse than anything that I have ever seen
I drank ten pints of beer and I cursed all the people there
And I wish that all this raining would stop falling down on me
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
At the time, I was working for a landlord
And he was the meanest bastard that you have ever seen
And to lose a single penny would grieve him awful sore
And he was a miserable bollocks and a bitch's bastard's whore
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
I recall we took care of him one Sunday
We got him out the back and we broke his fucking balls
And maybe that was dreaming and maybe that was real
But all I know is I left that place without a penny or fuck all
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
But now I've the most charming of verandahs
I sit and watch the junkies, the drunks, the pimps, the whores
Five green bottles sitting on the floor
I wish to Christ, I wish to Christ that I had fifteen more
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother wake me early in the morning
The boys and me are drunk and looking for you
We'll eat your frigging entrails and we won't give a damn
Me daddy was a blue shirt and my mother a madam
My brother earned his medals at Mai Lei in Vietnam
And it's lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
On the first day of March, it was raining
It was raining worse than anything that I have ever seen
Stay on the other side of the road 'cause you can never tell
We've a thirst like a gang of devils, we're the boys of the County Hell
And it's lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
And it's lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
It was raining worse than anything that I have ever seen
I drank ten pints of beer and I cursed all the people there
And I wish that all this raining would stop falling down on me
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
At the time, I was working for a landlord
And he was the meanest bastard that you have ever seen
And to lose a single penny would grieve him awful sore
And he was a miserable bollocks and a bitch's bastard's whore
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
I recall we took care of him one Sunday
We got him out the back and we broke his fucking balls
And maybe that was dreaming and maybe that was real
But all I know is I left that place without a penny or fuck all
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
But now I've the most charming of verandahs
I sit and watch the junkies, the drunks, the pimps, the whores
Five green bottles sitting on the floor
I wish to Christ, I wish to Christ that I had fifteen more
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
And it's lend me ten pounds, I'll buy you a drink
And mother wake me early in the morning
The boys and me are drunk and looking for you
We'll eat your frigging entrails and we won't give a damn
Me daddy was a blue shirt and my mother a madam
My brother earned his medals at Mai Lei in Vietnam
And it's lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
On the first day of March, it was raining
It was raining worse than anything that I have ever seen
Stay on the other side of the road 'cause you can never tell
We've a thirst like a gang of devils, we're the boys of the County Hell
And it's lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
And it's lend me ten pounds and I'll buy you a drink
And mother, wake me early in the morning
Lyrics submitted by black_cow_of_death
Boys from the County Hell Lyrics as written by Shane Macgowan
Lyrics © DOWNTOWN MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
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great fucking song, lovely typical pogues lyrics
its a very atmospheric song with an irish american feel due to the western sound and makes me think of somone being young and stuck in the slums of dublin trying to expereince escape through alcohol and violence
London Irish, not Irish American. 'The County Hell' is an Irish nickname for London.
interesting refrence to Mei Lei in the 5th verse.. if anyone knows about what happened at Mei Lei during the vietnam war... the origional lyric was "my brother earned his medals raping gooks in vietnam" changed for obvious reasons
I think it's in reference to Hugh Thompson and the Mei Lei Massacre. He was a US army chopper pilot in 1968.. <br /> <br /> Apparently there were American troops that were killing unarmed Vietnamese civillians and Thompson tried to rescue them.
The "Blueshirts" were Irish Fascists in the World War Two era.
"Lend me ten pounds and i'll buy you a drink" is a favourite greeting of Shane McGowan's
The line "bitch's bastard's whore" is just so perfect.
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