Sammy Hagar, From Colton, California, was popular in the early- mid 1980's … Read Full Bio ↴Sammy Hagar, From Colton, California, was popular in the early- mid 1980's for fast paced, guitar-driven, hard rock with a masculine, lets-go-party attitude, joined the band Van Halen as lead vocalist after David Lee Roth's departure from the group. (Before joining Van Halen he sang lead vocals in Ronnie Montrose's classic rock band Montrose, and had some single output, notably his release, "I Can't Drive 55".) As much as it was public surprise when Hagar joined the band, so it was when he left. Sammy Hagar now peddles his own line of high-quality "Cabo Wabo" tequila. In the Spring of 2007, Hagar sold his stake in Cabo Wabo tequila to an Italian beverage company for a reported $80 million.

Hagar, now a sort of modern-day Jimmy Buffett, has earned his place in rock n roll history as one of hard rock's premier front men who not only has an ample, strong, belting vocal range with soulful melody and tone, but his duality as a formidable lead guitarist and guitar-riff-monger puts him in a league shared with few others in terms of versatility and overall right to rock.

He now tours with Mike Anthony, former bassist for Van Halen.

He resides with his family in Mill Valley, CA.

Hagar is currently in a band called "Chickenfoot" with Michael Anthony, Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith and guitarist Joe Satriani. Their self titled debut album was released to critical acclaim

Sammy Hagar is also known as the Red Rocker, due to the fact he almost always wears red shirts or plays a red guitar, or more likely that he has red hair?

Seems that Chickenfoot is on a hiatus as Joe Satriani has gone back to solo and CF has yet to follow up with a new LP.

High Hopes
Sammy Hagar Lyrics

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Another dream, goes up in smoke
Huh!

And so fire me up, another toke
Yeah, I'm commin' on
I've got master plans, by the dozens
A-flashin' through my brain, when I get buzzin'

Whoa!
Suddenly, they're gone
All that inspiration, runnin' through your head
Instant stimulation
Oh, your runnin' on

You got...
High hopes
And they're up in smoke

Up all night, tweakin' every detail
The way I've got it, this could never fail
Hey! This could be the big one
High hopes
Come and go, so high
But commin' down, fade away and die
High hopes
I got them, more than a dream
They all get wasted
Yeah!

Ohhh, the inspiration, runnin' through your head
Instant stimulation
Your runnin' on
Oh!
You got...high hopes
Your livin' on
High hopes
High hopes
Oh yeah...
But they're wasted

All that talk, is gettin' nuthin' done
Ain't it hard to move, when your body's numb
Put it off, another day

High hopes
Come and goin' so high
And commin' down, fade away and die
High hopes
They're nuthin' more than a dream
They all get wasted

Ohhh, the inspiration, runnin' through your head
Instant stimulation
They're givin' you
Oh!...you got
Welllll Oh,
High hopes

Your livin' on
High hopes
You got
High hopes

High hopes
AAAAAAH! Yeah
High hopes
Keep livin' on

High hopes
High hopes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Sammy Hagar's "High Hopes" depicts the fleeting nature of ambitions and how easily they disintegrate, leaving one feeling empty and disillusioned. Hagar starts with a metaphor, "Another dream, goes up in smoke," which conveys that an ambitious plan had gone awry. However, Hagar refuses to be bogged down by failure and seeks escape in smoking marijuana, which fills his mind with "master plans, by the dozens," yet they "fade away and die" once the buzz wears off. The song's repeated refrain of "high hopes" reflects the contrast between the euphoric state of envisioning success and the somber reality of missing it.

Furthermore, the lyrics highlight the detrimental effects of procrastination, expressed in the lines, "Ain't it hard to move when your body's numb, Put it off, another day." This gentle reminder establishes the importance of taking action towards fulfilling one's goals instead of merely dreaming.

Overall, the song's message is that ambitions are a necessary driving force in life, but they must be accompanied by unrelenting dedication and perseverance to achieve a desirable outcome.

Line by Line Meaning

Another dream, goes up in smoke
A reference to a dream or goal that hasn't been achieved despite the effort put into it.

And so fire me up, another toke
Using cannabis as a means of escapism and inspiration. Although it can be a motivator for a short span of time, it may cloud the judgement and reduce determine in the long run.

I've got master plans, by the dozens
Having multiple achievable plans and ideas to strive for, indicating high motivation and passion.

A-flashin' through my brain, when I get buzzin'
Cannabis can create flash inspiration, but the effect eventually wears off leaving the individual dull and of a decreased ability to carry out their plans.

Suddenly, they're gone
Insight and determination can disappear as quickly as it comes with reliance on temporary highs and lack of self-discipline.

All that inspiration, runnin' through your head
Feeling inspired but not taking action can lead to missed opportunities as ideas may dissipate or become less impactful with time.

But commin' down, fade away and die
The downside of depending on instant stimulation and temporary highs, as it can lead to non-productivity once the effects diminish.

All that talk, is gettin' nuthin' done
Simply generating ideas without taking action results in lack of productivity, it is in essence an empty promise.

Ain't it hard to move, when your body's numb
Reliance on temporary highs to gain inspiration and motivation will eventually result in the body becoming numb and unresponsive to its original goals.

Come and goin' so high, And commin' down, fade away and die
All inspiration is temporary and will lose its intensity, resulting in the loss of enthusiasm for the goal if a long-term, self-sustainable plan is not set in place.

They're nuthin' more than a dream
Without action and effort with a defined plan, an idea or goal will remain just a dream.

The inspiration, runnin' through your head
The euphoria of having an idea comes with instant stimulation and adrenaline but may fade away easily.

Instant stimulation, They're givin' you
Temporary highs only provide instant stimulation while lacking any sustainable impact in realizing a long-term goal.

Your livin' on, High hopes
Persevering on despite task difficulty and hardship, in the belief that the end result is worth it.

Keep livin' on, High hopes
Maintain hope, persevere and strive for achieving a long-term goal or dream despite the setbacks.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMMY HAGAR

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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