The “Brutal” Van Halen Song, Written About Kurt Cobain, That Sammy Hagar Struggles To Sing

Back in January 1995, Van Halen kicked off the new year by releasing their tenth studio album with Balance. Featuring Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony, the album reached the No. 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 by February. With the album coming with songs like “Big Fat Money” and “Aftershock”, Hagar explained how one song on the hit album was too hard for him to perform for several years. But with a residency in Las Vegas just around the corner, he admitted he is ready to perform “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do).” 

Videos by American Songwriter

With 2025 marking the 30th anniversary of the song’s release, Hagar jumped on Twitter to celebrate the moment and remember the inspiration behind the classic hit. “Singing this song was always difficult. I wrote the lyrics about Kurt Cobain’s death. I wanted the chorus to say “I wanna tell you what love can do”, but Bruce Fairbank, Ed and Al wanted to make it more dark and negative.”

Singing this song was always difficult. I wrote the lyrics about Kurt Cobain's death. I wanted the chorus to say "I wanna tell you what love can do", but Bruce Fairbank, Ed and Al wanted to make it more dark and negative. Technically it's a brutal song to sing. I painted myself…

— Sammy Hagar (@sammyhagar) January 10, 2025

Finding common ground throughout the recording process, Hagar continued his statement, noting how brutal the song was. “Technically it’s a brutal song to sing. I painted myself in a corner, but we will be doing it at the residency in Vegas. I’m going to add it to the show.”

[RELATED: Sammy Hagar Posts Poignant Photo with Eddie Van Halen; Calls Alex Van Halen’s Disrespect of the Van Hagar Era “Blasphemy”]

Sammy Hagar Shared Vintage Performance Of Classic Song

Besides discussing the song that was inspired by Kurt Cobain, Hagar also shared a video of his performance of the song back in 1995. With an arena full of fans, the rockstar appeared right at home as the stage, hairstyles, and fashion completely embraced the 1990s. 

Looking at what fans had to say about the tweet and the performance, comments included, “Man. What a performance. Balance is one of my all time favorite albums, and this is one of the peak Van Halen songs of any era.” Another fan expressed his surprise with how fast the years flew by. “Those 30 years went by fast! I remember when I first heard it. It was on the radio, only the instruments were playing, & I thought that sounds like Van Halen. But it was my first time hearing Don’t Tell Me. Once you started singing I knew.”

(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)