From 1974 until 1985, Van Halen consisted of Eddie Van Halen; Eddie's brother, drummer Alex Van Halen; vocalist David Lee Roth; and bassist/vocalist Michael Anthony. Upon its release in 1978, the band's self-titled debut album reached No. 19 on the Billboard pop music charts and would sell over 10 million copies in the U.S. By 1982, the band released four more albums (Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, and Diver Down), all of which have since been certified multi-platinum. By the early 1980s, Van Halen was one of the most successful rock acts of the day. The album 1984 was a commercial success with U.S. sales of 10 million copies and four hit singles; its lead single, "Jump", was the band's only U.S. number one single.
In 1985, Roth left the band to embark on a solo career and was replaced by former Montrose lead vocalist Sammy Hagar. With Hagar, the group released four U.S. number-one, multi-platinum albums over the course of 11 years (5150 in 1986, OU812 in 1988, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge in 1991, and Balance in 1995). Hagar left the band in 1996 shortly before the release of the band's first greatest hits collection, Best of Volume 1. Former Extreme frontman Gary Cherone replaced Hagar and recorded the commercially unsuccessful album Van Halen III with the band in 1998, before parting ways in 1999. Van Halen then went on hiatus until reuniting with Hagar in 2003 for a worldwide tour in 2004 and the double-disc greatest hits collection The Best of Both Worlds. Hagar again left Van Halen in 2005. In 2006 Roth returned, but Anthony was replaced on bass guitar by Eddie's son, Wolfgang Van Halen. In 2012, the band released their final studio album A Different Kind of Truth, which was commercially and critically successful; it was also Van Halen's first album with Roth in 28 years and the only one to feature Wolfgang.
As of March 2019, Van Halen is 20th on the RIAA list of best-selling artists in the United States; the band has sold 56 million albums in the States and more than 80 million worldwide, making them one of the best-selling groups of all time. As of 2007, Van Halen is one of only five rock bands with two studio albums to sell more than 10 million copies in the United States and is tied for the most multi-platinum albums by an American band. Additionally, Van Halen has charted 13 number-one hits on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. VH1 ranked the band seventh on a list of the top 100 Hard Rock artists of all time.
Eddie was diagnosed with cancer in 2001, and died of the disease on October 6, 2020. A month after his father's death, Wolfgang confirmed that Van Halen had disbanded.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Halen
Studio albums
Van Halen (1978)
Van Halen II (1979)
Women and Children First (1980)
Fair Warning (1981)
Diver Down (1982)
1984 (1984)
5150 (1986)
OU812 (1988)
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991)
Balance (1995)
Van Halen III (1998)
A Different Kind of Truth (2012)
A.F.U
Van Halen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ninety days on the road is what I need
When my axe cuts me deep, I let it bleed
On the stage, off my strings, down my face
And all over me
Pumpin' up for the show
Feelin' like something's gonna blow
She got me all fired up
Yes, I'm all fired up
Through the ice into the fire
Blowin' steam
North n' south, East n' West, right n' left
I'm always extreme
Don't like the middle squeezin' me
I don't like nothin' in between
Yes, I'm all fired up
Got me all fired up
When the rest have packed it up
I'm alive, I'm electric, inspired
I, I'm naturally wired
Wired, naturally wired, oh
Wired
Oh
Whoo
Oh yeah
Oh
I, I, I, I'm naturally wired
Naturally wired
Wired, naturally wired
Wired, naturally wired
Wired, naturally wired
The lyrics to Van Halen's song A.F.U. (abbreviation for "All Fired Up") are about Eddie Van Halen's life as a rockstar and how performing on stage is the ultimate escape for him. He starts by saying he needs 90 days on the road, expressing how much he loves being a musician but also implying he needs distance from regular life. When he starts playing his guitar, he releases all of his emotions and lets the pain out, bleeding ax. On stage, his music is not only heard but felt, leading to ecstatic reactions from the audience. We can sense the tension and anticipation rising as they prepare for the show to begin.
Eddie Van Halen takes pride in his passion and work ethic, which sets him apart from others. He travels from one end of the country to the other, coast to coast, always pushing himself to the limit in his quest to become the best. He doesn't like to be restricted by conventions or expectations, and he refuses to conform to rules that limit his creativity. He's always pushing himself to the extreme, and he wants his audience to feel that intensity in his music. The song is about being all fired up, ready to go on stage and give his all to his music and fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, yeah, yeah
This song is starting off with a bang
Ninety days on the road is what I need
I'm a rockstar who needs to be on the road performing for extended periods of time
When my axe cuts me deep, I let it bleed
When playing guitar, I put so much of myself into it, it can feel like it's cutting me open
On the stage, off my strings, down my face, And all over me
As a performer, I pour everything into my music, causing sweat and emotion to become one
Pumpin' up for the show
I'm getting energized for the performance
Feelin' like something's gonna blow
I'm bursting with excitement and energy, ready to blow the audience's minds
She got me all fired up
The music and passion are fueling me to perform at my best
Yes, I'm all fired up
I am completely energized and ready to give it my all on stage
Through the ice into the fire
I'm willing to go to extremes to give my all on stage
Blowin' steam
I'm letting out all my emotion on stage
North n' south, East n' West, right n' left
No matter which direction I go, I always remain extreme in my passion and performances
I'm always extreme
I am constantly pushing boundaries and going to extremes to give my all on stage
Don't like the middle squeezin' me
I don't like mediocrity holding me back, I need to be at my best at all times
I don't like nothin' in between
I don't like things being average, I want everything to be amazing and spectacular
When the rest have packed it up
When others have given up or gone to bed, I am still alive and full of energy
I'm alive, I'm electric, inspired
I am completely full of life, energy, and creative inspiration
I, I'm naturally wired
My energy and passion are completely natural and a part of who I am
Wired, naturally wired, oh
I am naturally wired and full of energy
Oh
This is an emotional and passionate song
Whoo
The excitement and passion are building
Oh yeah
I am fully committed to this performance and the energy of the crowd is contagious
I, I, I, I'm naturally wired
My energy is an inherent part of who I am as a performer
Naturally wired
This energy comes naturally to me, I don't have to force or fake it
Wired, naturally wired
My natural energy is pulsing through me, ready to electrify the crowd
Wired, naturally wired
My passion and energy are a natural part of me and my music
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEX VAN HALEN, EDWARD VAN HALEN, SAMMY HAGAR, MICHAEL ANTHONY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
kpy95
Possibly one of the best intros ever. Haven't listened to this for years, now can't stop playing it. Thanks!!
Curtis Cross
Killer crank it up🔸🔅🔆🔈🔉🔊⚔️♂️♂️♂️
Joe Blair
truly a great intro!!
BurnRoddy
That would be ''Pleasure Dome''
Phillip Martinez
This intro drum beat is so groovy and contagious. Alex has always had a good groove.
Stanwyk
I always know when Alex is playing. That snare is perfect.
Patrick Langan
This was the first album Al played sober since he stopped drinking in ‘87.
Marcus 72
RIP Eddie Van Halen.
Giraffe Toe
god, i love eddie's tone here. it's just such a killer sound!
hunter karr
and this track is a good example of how his guitar is actually sort of set back in the mix and actually a little quiet sometimes. It's like you have to kind of focus in to hear the intricacy of his playing.