Hooper is a 1978 action-comedy film starring Burt Reynolds, based loosely on the experiences of director Hal Needham, a one-time stuntman in his own right. It serves as a tribute to stuntmen and stuntwomen in what was at one time an underrecognized profession.
Co-starring in the film are Sally Field, Jan-Michael Vincent, Brian Keith, Robert Klein, James Best and Adam West.
Veteran stuntman Sonny Hooper (Burt Reynolds), known in Hollywood as "the greatest stuntman alive," is currently working as Adam West's stunt double on the fictitious action film The Spy Who Laughed at Danger.
Hooper's on-set antics and wisecracks are a trial for egotistical director Roger Deal (Robert Klein), and even more so for Deal's bossy assistant Tony (Alfie Wise), who gets Hooper in trouble with the Humane Society over a stunt involving a dog. Added to which the years of self-abuse on and off the set are fast catching up with Hooper, with the numerous stunts—and an addiction to painkillers—beginning to take their toll on his body.
They come out of nowhere
And push you outta control
Perplexed you feel
Your senses scream they're real
Obscuring thoughts are all around you
The shadows grow beneath your scared, sweat skin
[CHORUS]
Welcome to the horror show
You realized there is nowhere to run
The unknown came to fright
Paranoia is guiding your life
Welcome to the horror show
You realized there is nowhere to run
The unknown came to fright
Obsession is ruling your mind
Alone, there's no resort
Conspiring friends you can't trust
Trapped by your instincts
Nobody around to believe
Wide eyes are always all around you
The shadows grow beneath your scared, sweat skin
[CHORUS]
Helpless you crawl
Insanity beast devours
Voices from within
Announcing the final hour
[Solo]
Corroding inside your brain,
Thoughts that won't give up
Devising anxiety, seducing your soul
Evidences so unreal, eyes and ears misled to feel betrayed
The nightmare now is on
No more time to go back or regret
Spreading lies for your self-protection
You blame and you hide
And you fake, but all the shit you do
Will come back to you
No you cannot count on me
Now you're falling, you see the truth
No more mercy for rats
[CHORUS]
Tough is the way
There's no escape
Your heart is full of evil and pain
Your path was marked by shame
Too late for remorse
Back and forth thoughts that will not give up -
They'll be around forever and ever
You lie and you try to deceive
But all the shit you do will come back to you
There's no time to erase the past
Sorry, you have not done your best
No more mercy for rats
[CHORUS]
[Solo]
Time now blows away
All the pride you have
The shame you feel will never set you free
You can break the rules
But not on and on
Now feels walls closing in
It's not our business life seems to be like hell burning inside
And from now on life will turn into an eternal flash of death
We'll spread our rage
And now, you will feel the pain
And you, you will know how it's like
The future is fulfilled by the suffer
[Solo]
They don't give a shit
If we're alive or dead
Cover our bodies they won't
One last breath
One last prayer to Death
In vain souls scream aloud for no one
[BRIDGE]
Because we are not prepared for it
The beast is hungry
And it's waiting for our souls, my friends
[CHORUS]
That's the end of the line - Today
No escape we can find - No way
That's the end of our lives
No escape we can find
Drawing near
Damn - the shelter's on fire
They've never felt this way
Don't you tell me that
Over and over again
Our last breath
Our last prayer to Death
In vain we'll scream aloud for no one
[BRIDGE]
[CHORUS]
Oh, no
We are all so unprepared to face it
Since we were born we experience what fear's all about
We are dying - Why is it so tough to keep my eyes open?
[Solo]
We all should learn life can be short and unfair
We only have one shot
All of us we'll find it, there's no way back
[CHORUS]
We're so unprepared to face it
Since we're born we experience that
We're so unprepared to face it
My last prayer to Death
Can you tell me the reasons
Of this white flash in my sight?
I'm going out of control
My delight shall be over fast
Where is all that fun that I felt with my all - blessed eyes?
Sure I'm going to die
Down there among the blind
[BRIDGE]
There's no assurance
They'll rescue me
I will join you in this creepy fucking life
There's no time to step back and regret
Dismissed and hungry we shall fade away
[CHORUS]
Shooting at a helpless blind
For the pleasure of blood
Made me feel like a beast in disguise
Shooting at a helpless blind
For the pleasure of blood
Cause all the sight of blindness is inside my eyes
"You, shut up with your lies"
"Fuck ya, I didn't kill a life"
Pain, you don't know how fear kills your mind
"You, shut up with your grief"
"Listen, I didn't ruin a life"
Death, I only unleashed the poor life
Of the infected blind already dead
Now the pain became so hard, and desperate I feel
Death's so close
Last words on my mind as crying I close my eyes
[Solo]
Shady nights - lousy room
Being quiet is the only way
So I hide... and wait for the next surprise
Help me, I beg
[Solo]
[BRIDGE]
Death, are you listening to me?
I'm begging please - Shoot me down
Death, are you having fun?
You're my only chance - Shoot me down
In silence I cry
In silence I die
Stuck on this goddamn nightmare
Hopeless I am
Just a lamb
Facing the Devil laughing on his chair
[CHORUS]
Shoot me down
I beg you please
Shoot me down
Damn - Shoot me down
I'm dead but I can't close my eyes
Shoot me down
Death, can you tell me, please,
How you choose the ones you'll take away?
Death, is that not enough?
Life's been more than tough
Shoot me down
In silence I pray
In silence I stay
Stuck on this goddamn nightmare
Lonely I am
Just a lamb
Facing the Devil laughing on his chair
[CHORUS]
[Solo]
One last ride going down
It's all I'll say to you:
There is nothing left for me
This silent nightmare is driving me to hell
No words left on my grave
To nobody I'll say goodbye
You'll see, I'm going down
No, don't you wake me up - Let me die
[Solo]
I'm so close to my fate
Crossing the world's gates of the dead
Eyes wide open - no fear
Scenes from the past
Will be left behind
Scared of the pictures of the past
Affected smiles
Under suspicious eyes of scorn
Strength is all that I have inborn
[BRIDGE]
Tell me, what would you do if you got to know
You would never fit this world
Look at me and you'll find the answer
Don't need words to lie
Tell me, how could I cease the fire that burns inside?
[CHORUS]
I won't change direction now
I won't follow their empty words
No time to spend with losers
The ones who'll never heal their rotten souls
Something to hold and fight for
The best option
After all we have only one life
The single chance to show your strength
[BRIDGE]
[CHORUS]
Don't have to be this way
We cannot blame life, yeah
The power to erase regrets
Needs to come from the inside, yeah
There's only one path you can choose
Once it's running in your veins
You won't give up in vain
Never close your eyes to the past
The obscurity of your lies will not outlast
So when it starts the ride
It's only one track
Nobody knows when it ends
So better think of the plans
Don't turn back, don't pretend
No second chance to clean up
If you screw up, all you have in life will turn into big lies
So when it starts don't hide
[Solo]
Don't fool yourself, it's a kind of disease
Kneeling to clean the boots of whom you should please
If getting used is the way you could find
Playing their game is just a matter of bridge
[BRIDGE]
Hear me, you've got to see
The more that you bend the less you get their respect
Refuse this, you have to face it
The chance is here, it's your time to raise your
Nonconforming minds
[CHORUS I]
The mass will rise and burn their dead void speech
Truth reveals
We'll scream so fucking loud they won't pretend
They can't hear
Nonconforming minds
Reject to grow as a walking dead
Decline the ones overbearing our heads
They only want their hands to be clear
Fading the voices of rebels they fear
[BRIDGE]
[CHORUS II]
The mass will rise and burn their dead void speech
Truth reveals
We'll scream so fucking loud they won't pretend
They can't hear
So many voices telling you what to do
Leading your life as if they decide for you
Now we'll gather and make it in our own way
With no fear
Nonconforming minds
[Solo]
No, we won't embrace
The decadent fates once chosen
Years before we were born
We're not alone, many more will come
Inside ourselves our souls shout:
Freedom!
It's not a gift or miracle
Better fall and die fighting
Than gratifying our enemies
Watching us conform
[Solo]
I'm gonna live till I die
I'm gonna laugh 'stead of cry
I'm gonna take the town and turn it upside down
I'm gonna live, live until I die
They're gonna say "What a guy!"
I'm gonna play for the sky
Ain't gonna miss a thing, I'm gonna have my fling
I'm gonna live, live until I die
The blues I lay low, I'll make them stay low
They'll never trail over my head
I'll be a devil, till I'm an angel
But until then, Hallelujah!
I'm gonna dance, gonna fly
I'll take a chance riding high
Before my number's up, I'm gonna fill my cup
I'm gonna live, live until I die
[Solo]
The blues I lay low, I'll make them stay low
They'll never trail over my head
I'll be a devil, till I'm an angel
But until then, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Gonna live till I die!
[Solo]
Gonna dance, gonna fly
I'll take a chance riding high
Before my number's up, I'm gonna fill my cup
I dream about how my days of bliss
Surrounded me freely now it's a time of fear
All Days and nights run so much faster
All the tears are closer to an end
A new season
[CHORUS]
I feel no bliss
I've dreamt about my death
No more whispers - Don't you tell me what to do
I look around and something is missing
My fear makes me blind just voices I hear
Blaming thoughts speak so louder
All the pain is closer to an end
A new season
[CHORUS]
One last time - I will dream about your love
Lonely - I will close my eyes for so long
One last time - I will dream a shining life
Free - I will fly away
All days and nights run so much faster
Blaming thoughts speak so louder
Mind-numbing speech
Fills their souls with beauty and cheer
Collective trance
Leading their hearts to flood the temple
The outsiders they'll execrate
They will behave as empty shells of hate
From here to eternity they will act
Forever blind, as judges of you and me
[CHORUS]
Unveil the poison
Their hate is never-ending
Their world is as small as their God
Blinded by faith and by fear
Blinded by faith
Promising hell
Raising their children to condemn
Inheriting the beast
Their will confined
Refusing to see what's real
[CHORUS]
Blinded by faith
Blinded by fear
Hell is so damn close
A step away from paradise
Dare to cross the line
The wrath of God will fall from the sky
Hypnotic mantra on their heads
Swallow lies! Obey! Behave!
Stupid blind disease
No criticism
No way to cease
The foolish thoughts of their brainwashed minds
Worthless to try
Their mouths decry
The grace of being free to decide
[Solo]
[CHORUS]
Blinded by faith
Blinded by faith
(I'm) Losing control
(I'm) Screaming in silence
Blows me away, this scary madness
My dying soul has no more hope
Just sadness will lead my way
[BRIDGE]
When you face all the pain that enslaves you
Bending your knees you will pray
When you break all the chains that make you
A slave to the darkness
[CHORUS]
Beyond regrets of the past
Sleepless fears not left behind
(A) Way out - I'll try all my best
But I just can not get rid of my mind
Rage and hate I feel when I look at the scratches on my soul
Burn up the past
We always have to move on our future
No matter if we're lost
(The) growing fear will make us strong to survive
And keep on realizing
We just have on life to cure
The shadows we keep confined
Don't surrender the fight, struggling inside
Blaming the world won't make you heal
[Solo]
When I feel I'm not strong
Damn darkness I know will hold me again
I'll force my mind - to face my regrets
That keep me in the past
[BRIDGE]
[CHORUS]