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.
Suck and suck
Suckin' up all you can, suckin' up all you can suck and suck
Workin' up under my patience like a little tick
Fat little parasite
Suck me dry
My friend is bruised and borrowed
You thieving bastards
You have turned my blood cold and bitter
Beat my compassion black and blue
Hope this is what you wanted
Hope this is what you had in mind
'Cause this is what you're getting
I hope you're choking
I hope you choke on this
I hope you're choking
I hope you choke on this
Taken all I can, taken all I can, I can take
Taken all you can, taken you can, we can take
Got nothing left to give to you
Blood suckin' parasitic little tick
blood suckin parasitic little
Blood suckin' parasitic little tick
Take what you want and then go
Hope this is what you wanted
Hope this is what you had in mind
'Cause this is what you're getting
Suck me dry
Suck, suck me dry
Sucking me dry
Suck, suck me dry
Is this what you wanted?
Is this what you had in mind?
Is this what you wanted?
'Cause this is what you're getting
I hope, I hope, I hope you choke
Suckin' up all you can, suckin' up all you can suck and suck
Workin' up under my patience like a little tick
Fat little parasite
Suck me dry
My friend is bruised and borrowed
You thieving bastards
You have turned my blood cold and bitter
Beat my compassion black and blue
Hope this is what you wanted
Hope this is what you had in mind
'Cause this is what you're getting
I hope you're choking
I hope you choke on this
I hope you're choking
I hope you choke on this
Taken all I can, taken all I can, I can take
Taken all you can, taken you can, we can take
Got nothing left to give to you
Blood suckin' parasitic little tick
blood suckin parasitic little
Blood suckin' parasitic little tick
Take what you want and then go
Hope this is what you wanted
Hope this is what you had in mind
'Cause this is what you're getting
Suck me dry
Suck, suck me dry
Sucking me dry
Suck, suck me dry
Is this what you wanted?
Is this what you had in mind?
Is this what you wanted?
'Cause this is what you're getting
I hope, I hope, I hope you choke
Lyrics submitted by gasmask, edited by Mellow_Harsher
Ticks & Leeches Lyrics as written by Daniel Carey Adam Jones
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Does this song belong on an album this much ingrained and engrossed in self preservation and fighting self doubt, take what you want and die doesn’t jive with me juxtaposed with the scream of “let go” at the end of the Grudge. I’m not completely attached to this thought I’m giving but mainly just wanted to hear others thoughts on how they feel this song flows with the lateralus theme, and especially as a song that precedes an absolute masterpiece Lateralus
@TomThumb681 I had an epiphany listening to this song this morning. I had felt EXACTLY the same as you about this song. What is this angry spiteful song doing in the middle of this masterpiece about patience, compassion, humanity, divinity, transcendence, etc? Then it hit me towards the end of the song and it's so beautiful it had me in tears, and I came here to see if anyone had the realization I had, and literally no one is interpreting this song the way I have just realized it.<br /> So here it is: he wants the ticks and leeches that are "workin' up under my patience" and "beat my compassion black and blue" to choke ON the patience and the compassion. He's saying to the ticks and leeches [which I interpret as not just people but situations, emotions, thoughts, anything that wears on you] I'm going to have so much patience and compassion and love for you that you're going to choke on it. You thought you were going to get under my skin and get to me and bring me down, but all you're getting is my patience and compassion. Choke on that! It is spiteful and angry, but, with love... Yeah.