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)
Finish What Ya Started
Van Halen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on baby
Oh oh oh
Well if you wanna see other guys
Baby, I could let it slide
You want a lover, you want a friend
Mama, I can be both of them
I got the tools to satisfy
Just walk away, if I fall shy at all
Come on baby finish what you started
I'm incomplete
That ain't no way to treat the broken hearted
I need some sympathy
I like to look, to long run
I like to take each step, one by one
Right on time, you will arrive
By keepin' the dream alive
It's alive and it's kickin' inside of me
So come on baby, please
Come on baby finish what you started
I'm incomplete
That ain't no way to treat the broken hearted
Come on and finish me
Baby, come on
Come on baby, you said, yeah
Baby, come on
Baby, baby, baby
Yeah
Come on baby, please
Oh baby, come on
Come on baby, finish what you started
That ain't no way to treat the broken hearted
Come on baby, finish what you started uh give me
That ain't no way to treat the broken hearted
Baby, come on
Each step baby, one by one
Baby, come on
Yeah come on
Baby, come on, I got the tools I'll satisfy
Come on baby
Baby come on
Oh oh oh
Yeah, baby come on
Baby come on
Baby come on
So come on baby (baby come on)
So come on baby (baby come on) yeah
Come on baby (baby come on)
Van Halen's "Finish What Ya Started" is a song about a man who is asking his lover to finish what she started. He is feeling incomplete and needs her to satisfy him. He offers to be both her lover and friend, but he needs her to finish what she started. He wants her to come back to him, and he is pleading for her to do so.
The song's protagonist is expressing that he is incomplete, and she isn't treating the broken-hearted right. He is trying to keep the dream alive, but he can't do it without her. He is begging for her to come back to him and finish what she started.
The song's upbeat rhythm and playful tone add to its message, and the guitar solo at the end completes the emotional journey. The lyrics are open to interpretation, but the chorus is clear that the man wants his lover to finish what she started and not treat him poorly.
Line by Line Meaning
One, two, one, two, three
The song is starting and the band is preparing to play.
Come on baby
The singer is asking his lover to do something for him.
Well if you wanna see other guys
The singer is giving his lover permission to date other people.
Baby, I could let it slide
The singer is saying that he won't get angry if his lover chooses to see other people.
You want a lover, you want a friend
The singer is telling his lover that he can be both a romantic partner and a companion.
Mama, I can be both of them
The singer is reassuring his lover that he is capable of fulfilling both roles.
I got the tools to satisfy
The singer is saying that he has the skills and abilities to please his lover.
Just walk away, if I fall shy at all
The singer is telling his lover to leave if he doesn't meet her expectations.
Come on baby finish what you started
The singer is asking his lover to follow through with something they began together.
I'm incomplete
The singer is expressing that he is not whole without his lover.
That ain't no way to treat the broken hearted
The singer is telling his lover that leaving him unfinished is hurtful and unfair.
I need some sympathy
The singer is expressing that he wants understanding and support from his lover.
I like to look, to long run
The singer enjoys anticipating future success and long-term commitment.
I like to take each step, one by one
The singer prefers to take his time and be deliberate in achieving his goals.
Right on time, you will arrive
The singer believes that his lover will come into his life at the right moment.
By keepin' the dream alive
The singer is saying that he can achieve his dreams if he remains optimistic.
It's alive and it's kickin' inside of me
The singer is expressing that his passion and energy are driving him toward his goals.
So come on baby, please
The singer is asking his lover to cooperate with him and help him achieve his goals.
Come on and finish me
The singer is asking his lover to complete him and make him whole.
Yeah
A simple expression of affirmation or acknowledgement.
Oh oh oh
A vocalization of emotion, typically excitement or anticipation.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian Wawryshyn
One of the most underrated songs of all time...love Eddie's guitar on this song...
Katherine D
Underrated how? It was #2 on the Billboard Rock chart and #13 on the Billboard Rock 100.
chippy angel
100%
Brian Stark
@Katherine D Well, there you go;
should have been higher. That 15 second interval at the beginning between the bass kicking in and Sammy's first lyrics is rock 'n roll perfection
Katherine D
@Brian Stark Agreed though I am not the expert you are.
Brian Stark
@Katherine D Ha! Well, I talk a good game. And I've lived long enuff to see most of the history of rock n' roll. I'm so old .. Van Halen was the stuff my kid sisters were into
Glenn Schlegel
Let's be honest. The Sammy lead VH when clicking on all cylinders was UNTOUCHABLE. Eddie's guitar 🎸 Sammy vocal range. Mike's background and Alex just doin what Alex does....Nothing better!!
palindrome1959
I couldn't agree more!!!
Lee Post
????mmmmm???
Lee Post
@palindrome1959 ?