Van Halen was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972… Read Full Bio ↴Van Halen was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead guitarist, Eddie Van Halen. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.

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)

D.O.A
Van Halen Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We was broke and hungry on a summer day
They sent the sheriff down to try and drive us away
We was sittin' ducks for the police man
They found a dirty faced kid in a garbage can, ha ooh

And I'm alone
I'm on the highway
Wanted, dead or alive

Dead or alive

Broken down and dirty, dressed in rags
My from the day, my Mama told me boy, you pack your bags
I send the mayor down in his pickup truck
The jury look at me, say outta luck, woo yeah

And I'm alone
And I'm on the highway
Wanted dead or alive
Dead or alive

Now, I'm broken down and dirty, dressed in rags
A from the day, my mama told me boy, you pack your bags
And we was sittin' ducks for the police man
They found a dirty faced kid in a garbage can
Dirty yeah, yeah

Babe, I'm alone
And I'm on the highway
Wanted dead or alive
Dead or alive, woo

I'm gone, ooh, yeah, ooh

Baby, let me run, yeah
I'm a spark on the horizon

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Van Halen's song D.O.A. tell the story of a group of people who are struggling to make ends meet on a hot summer day. The local authorities are sent to evict them from their homes, and they are treated like "sitting ducks" by the police. The singer of the song is left alone and on the highway, wanted dead or alive. He is dressed in ragged clothes and feels like he has nothing left to lose. The song is a powerful commentary on poverty, injustice, and the struggle for survival in a harsh and unforgiving world.

The lyrics of D.O.A. are intense and emotional, reflecting the feelings of desperation and isolation experienced by the singer. The song is driven by a raw, gritty guitar riff that perfectly captures the mood of the lyrics. The chorus is simple yet powerful, with the repeated refrain of "Wanted dead or alive" hammering home the sense of danger and hopelessness. Overall, D.O.A. is a song that speaks to the human condition, reminding us that we are all vulnerable to the forces that can conspire against us.

Line by Line Meaning

We was broke and hungry on a summer day
We were penniless and starving one summer day

They sent the sheriff down to try and drive us away
The sheriff came down to evict us

We was sittin' ducks for the police man
We were easy targets for the police

They found a dirty faced kid in a garbage can, ha ooh
They discovered a filth-covered child in a dumpster

And I'm alone
I am by myself

I'm on the highway
I am driving on the freeway

Wanted, dead or alive
Wanted for capture or death

Dead or alive
Either alive or deceased is acceptable

Broken down and dirty, dressed in rags
In disrepair, unclean, and poorly attired

My from the day, my Mama told me boy, you pack your bags
Since my childhood, my mother advised me to be prepared to leave

I send the mayor down in his pickup truck
I requested the mayor to come in his pickup truck

The jury look at me, say outta luck, woo yeah
The jurors looked at me and declared I was unlucky

Now, I'm broken down and dirty, dressed in rags
Currently in disrepair, unclean, and poorly attired

A from the day, my mama told me boy, you pack your bags
Since my childhood, my mother advised me to be prepared to leave

And we was sittin' ducks for the police man
And we were easy targets for the police

They found a dirty-faced kid in a garbage can
They discovered a filth-covered child in a dumpster

Babe, I'm alone
Darling, I am by myself

And I'm on the highway
And I am driving on the freeway

Wanted dead or alive
Wanted for capture or death

Dead or alive, woo
Either alive or deceased is acceptable, woo

I'm gone, ooh, yeah, ooh
I have left, ooh, yeah, ooh

Baby, let me run, yeah
Darling, allow me to flee, yeah

I'm a spark on the horizon
I am a small, flickering light in the distance

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alex Van Halen, Edward Van Halen, David Roth, Michael Anthony

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS