Little Guitars
In the song Little Guitars, you’ll hear and see Van Halen’s typical style and inspiration for their songs. Van Halen was all about the rocker life, meaning drugs, parting, and lots of “pretty girls.” This song is a classic and describes the pursuit by a man for an intriguing girl. Little Guitars describes all these attempts to sway this girl, who the man seems to believe is meant for him. “You're exactly what the doctor ordered,” and “Can anybody in their right mind could see/ It's you and me.” The narrator of this song truly believes that this one girl is the perfect match for him. The whole song is devoted to trying to pick up this perfect girl, but listeners will never find out whether or not the man is successful.
This Song was formed after Eddie Van Halen, the lead guitarist, heard a very interesting guitar trick on TV. After teaching himself how to do it and experimenting with it, David Lee Roth, the singer, found that the tune had a strong Mexican twang to it. So he went on and created a song about “senoritas.” Eddie also had a huge influence from Carlos Montoya’s records. This helped him create the intro for this rockin’ song.
There aren’t too many literary devices found throughout this song, but one that can be found is, “When I see you, all your little guitars sing to me.” This is an example of personification, because the guitars are giving human characteristics. David Lee Roth uses this from of literature to show the beauty of the girl he is describing. This connection helps the listener visualize the type of girl he is trying to pick up, and helps show how strong the connection he feels to her.
Unchained
Another one of Van Halen’s hits is Unchained; this song is all about ridding yourself from anything that holds you down and blocks your way to whatever it may be that you desire. People in life will try and put a limit to you, but you must pass that thin red line. These lyrics are a prime example of this message, "You say I cannot get there from here, well I don't care where I'm goin... Here's to your thin red line, I'm jumping over!" This song is kind of a break from the style Van Halen is so famously none for. For once, one of their songs isn’t about having a good time partying, doing drugs, or sex. An interviewer even accused David Lee Roth of only writing lyrics about sex, drugs, and fast cars. Don't let the others to decide for your life, trust yourself, and break the chains
Also, Dave Lee Roth was going through a very Dark period when he wrote the lyrics to the album "Fair Warning." He traveled to Haiti with only his personal assistant. If you were to read some of his books, you’ll find that he was pretty freaked out but what he saw. This whole trip had a major effect on David’s life, and the style of music he produced. As a result, he was writing some pretty dark stuff. But this song was his way of him showing that you must overcome any conflictions you may face in life. “I know, I don't ask for permission/ This is my chance to fly.” The main message here is not letting anything or anyone hold you back and keep you from soaring.
Once again, there aren’t many literary devices found within this song. David Lee Roth uses personification again when he says, “Thought you'd never miss me till I got a fat city address.” Although his songs don’t contain that many literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification, his lyrics are still deep, and all hold important messages, or tell an intriguing story. After all, Van Halen wouldn’t be so famous if it wasn’t for their rockin’ songs, and arousing stories of a true rocker’s life.
In the song Little Guitars, you’ll hear and see Van Halen’s typical style and inspiration for their songs. Van Halen was all about the rocker life, meaning drugs, parting, and lots of “pretty girls.” This song is a classic and describes the pursuit by a man for an intriguing girl. Little Guitars describes all these attempts to sway this girl, who the man seems to believe is meant for him. “You're exactly what the doctor ordered,” and “Can anybody in their right mind could see/ It's you and me.” The narrator of this song truly believes that this one girl is the perfect match for him. The whole song is devoted to trying to pick up this perfect girl, but listeners will never find out whether or not the man is successful.
This Song was formed after Eddie Van Halen, the lead guitarist, heard a very interesting guitar trick on TV. After teaching himself how to do it and experimenting with it, David Lee Roth, the singer, found that the tune had a strong Mexican twang to it. So he went on and created a song about “senoritas.” Eddie also had a huge influence from Carlos Montoya’s records. This helped him create the intro for this rockin’ song.
There aren’t too many literary devices found throughout this song, but one that can be found is, “When I see you, all your little guitars sing to me.” This is an example of personification, because the guitars are giving human characteristics. David Lee Roth uses this from of literature to show the beauty of the girl he is describing. This connection helps the listener visualize the type of girl he is trying to pick up, and helps show how strong the connection he feels to her.
Unchained
Another one of Van Halen’s hits is Unchained; this song is all about ridding yourself from anything that holds you down and blocks your way to whatever it may be that you desire. People in life will try and put a limit to you, but you must pass that thin red line. These lyrics are a prime example of this message, "You say I cannot get there from here, well I don't care where I'm goin... Here's to your thin red line, I'm jumping over!" This song is kind of a break from the style Van Halen is so famously none for. For once, one of their songs isn’t about having a good time partying, doing drugs, or sex. An interviewer even accused David Lee Roth of only writing lyrics about sex, drugs, and fast cars. Don't let the others to decide for your life, trust yourself, and break the chains
Also, Dave Lee Roth was going through a very Dark period when he wrote the lyrics to the album "Fair Warning." He traveled to Haiti with only his personal assistant. If you were to read some of his books, you’ll find that he was pretty freaked out but what he saw. This whole trip had a major effect on David’s life, and the style of music he produced. As a result, he was writing some pretty dark stuff. But this song was his way of him showing that you must overcome any conflictions you may face in life. “I know, I don't ask for permission/ This is my chance to fly.” The main message here is not letting anything or anyone hold you back and keep you from soaring.
Once again, there aren’t many literary devices found within this song. David Lee Roth uses personification again when he says, “Thought you'd never miss me till I got a fat city address.” Although his songs don’t contain that many literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification, his lyrics are still deep, and all hold important messages, or tell an intriguing story. After all, Van Halen wouldn’t be so famous if it wasn’t for their rockin’ songs, and arousing stories of a true rocker’s life.
