"18 and Life" is a song by American heavy metal band Skid Row. It was released in June 1989 as the second single from their self titled debut album. The song is the band's biggest hit, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and No. 11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It was certified Gold on September 13, 1989, when it sold 500,000 copies. The song also charted at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart.[4]
In April 2015, Skid Row released a new version of the song with then-lead vocalist Tony Harnell.
The title of the song alludes to its subject, 18-year-old Ricky, receiving a sentence of life imprisonment for the murder of another teen. The song paints Ricky's youth as his undoing. It was believed for a long time that guitarist Dave Sabo got the idea from a newspaper article about an 18-year-old named Ricky who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his friend with a gun, that due to alcohol, he most likely guessed was not loaded. However, in an interview with the Professor of Rock, Sabo states that the original inspiration was his brother Rick's life after coming home from Vietnam. The writing process eventually led the song to being about an accidental murder. The music video also alludes to this.
Lyrics
Ricky was a young boy, he had a heart of stone Lived nine to five and 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 He had no money, no no good at home Walked the streets a soldier and he fought the world alone And now it's 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 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 and had a courtship with a gun 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 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 "Accidents will happen" they all heard Ricky say He fired his six-shot to the wind - that child blew a child away 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