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)
Big Bad Bill
Van Halen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lived a cat named Big Bad Bill
I wants to tell ya
Ah, the cat was rough and tough he would strut his stuff
Had the whole town scared to death
When he walked by, they all held their breath
He's a fightin' man, sure enough
And then Bill got himself a wife, now he leads a different life
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
Married life done changed him somehow
He's the man the town used to fear
Now they all call him Sweet Papa Willy Dear
Stronger than Sampson I declare
'Til a brown-skinned woman's bobbed his hair
Big Bad Bill don't fight anymore (no, no, no)
He's doin' the dishes an' moppin' up that floor (yes he is)
Well he used to go out drinkin' lookin' for a fight
Now he gotta see that Sweet woman every night
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
Aw, play it boys
Aw, yeah
Who
(I likes that, yeah, yeah, say I)
Ah, well, big Bad Bill don't fight anymore (no, he don't)
He's doin' the dishes 'n moppin' up that floor (yes he is)
Well he used to go out drinkin' lookin' for a fight
Now he gotta see that Sweet woman every night
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now (doin' the dishes)
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now (moppin' up that floor!)
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
Yeah
The lyrics to Van Halen's song Big Bad Bill tell the story of a man named Bill who used to be a rough and tough fighting man, feared by the entire town of Louisville. However, since he got married, Bill has changed and is now known as Sweet William. The townspeople no longer fear him and instead call him Sweet Papa Willy Dear. Bill's transformation is so significant that he no longer fights and instead spends his time doing household chores like dishes and mopping the floor.
The song's lyrics are essentially a commentary on the transformative power of love and how it can change a person's entire outlook on life. Bill's love for his wife has tamed him and turned him into a different person. The song is also a celebration of domesticity and the idea that a man can be just as strong and tough by doing household chores as he was when he was fighting.
Overall, the lyrics to Van Halen's Big Bad Bill are a fun and lighthearted exploration of love and domesticity. The contrast between the rough and tough Big Bad Bill and the sweet and domesticated Sweet William adds a layer of humor to the song, while the message of transformation and the power of love gives the lyrics a deeper meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, way down yonder in Louisville
This story takes place in the southern city of Louisville, Kentucky.
Lived a cat named Big Bad Bill
There was a man named Big Bad Bill who lived there.
I wants to tell ya
Let me tell you about him.
Ah, the cat was rough and tough he would strut his stuff
Bill was a manly man who exuded confidence and fearlessness.
Had the whole town scared to death
The people of Louisville were intimidated by him.
When he walked by, they all held their breath
They were so scared of him that they would even stop breathing as he walked by.
He's a fightin' man, sure enough
Bill was known for his fighting prowess.
And then Bill got himself a wife, now he leads a different life
However, when Bill got married, things changed for him.
Big Bad Bill is Sweet William now
Bill is now known as Sweet William.
Married life done changed him somehow
Marriage has caused him to transform.
He's the man the town used to fear
People used to be afraid of him.
Now they all call him Sweet Papa Willy Dear
But now his neighbors affectionately refer to him as Sweet Papa Willy Dear.
Stronger than Sampson I declare
Bill was once known for his strength, like biblical figure Sampson.
'Til a brown-skinned woman's bobbed his hair
But his wife has influenced him so much that he even allowed her to cut his hair.
Big Bad Bill don't fight anymore (no, no, no)
Bill no longer fights.
He's doin' the dishes an' moppin' up that floor (yes he is)
Instead, he now does housework like washing dishes and mopping floors.
Well he used to go out drinkin' lookin' for a fight
In the past, he would go out drinking and looking for trouble.
Now he gotta see that Sweet woman every night
Now that he's married, he's obligated to spend time with his wife every night.
Aw, play it boys
The singer is encouraging the band to continue playing.
Aw, yeah
The artist is expressing approval or agreement.
Who
The artist is expressing enthusiasm, asking for more.
(I likes that, yeah, yeah, say I)
The artist is enjoying the music and expressing approval.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jack Yellen, Milton Ager
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gopendro Laiphrakpam
on Why Can't This Be Love
Wonderful