They basically describe a young man, Ricky, who spends his life having fun and doing drugs, taking risks. In one of his trips he accidentally shots a friend and now he has to deal with the consequences.
[Verse 1]
Ricky was a young boy, he had a heart of stone
Lived nine to five and he worked his fingers to the bone
Just barely out of school, came from the edge of town
Fought like a switchblade so no one could take him down, no
[Pre-Chorus]
He had no money, no
No good at home
Walked the streets a soldier and he fought the world alone
And now it's
[Chorus]
Eighteen and life, you got it
Eighteen and life, you know
Your crime is time and it's eighteen and life to go
Eighteen and life, you got it
Eighteen and life, you know
Your crime is time and it's eighteen and life to go
[Verse 2]
Tequila in his heartbeat, his veins burned gasoline
It kept his motor running but it never kept him clean
They say he loved adventure, "Ricky's the wild one"
He married trouble, had a courtship with a gun
[Pre-Chorus]
Bang-bang, shoot 'em up, the party never ends
You can't think of dying when the bottle's your best friend
And now it's
[Chorus]
Eighteen and life, you got it
Eighteen and life, you know
Your crime is time and it's eighteen and life to go
Eighteen and life, you got it
Eighteen and life, you know
Your crime is time and it's eighteen and life to go
Yeah, yeah
[Bridge]
"Accidents will happen," they all heard Ricky say
He fired his six-shot to the wind
And that child blew a child away, yeah, yeah
Hey, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah
[Chorus]
Eighteen and life, you got it
Eighteen and life, you know
Your crime is time and it's eighteen and life to go
Eighteen and life, you got it
Eighteen and life, you know
Your crime is time and it's eighteen and life to go
Yeah
[Outro]
Whoa, whoa, whoa
18 and Life was written by Dave “The Snake” Sabo & Rachel Bolan.
18 and Life was produced by Michael Wagener.
Skid Row released 18 and Life on Fri Jun 16 1989.