Videos by American Songwriter
That old saying about not getting a second chance to make a first impression certainly wasn’t lost on Van Halen. “Runnin’ with the Devil,” the very first song on their very first album, immediately established the band as a force of maximum potency, while also managing to include all the elements that VH would mine for the remainder of their massively successful time together.
But what exactly is the meaning behind this hard rock masterpiece? How did Gene Simmons of KISS contribute to the proceedings? And who the heck was blowing that car horn? All these questions will be answered as we look back to the origins of Van Halen and the song with which they introduced themselves to the world.
A “Mammoth” Debut
Van Halen began with a pair of Dutch brothers who moved to Pasadena, California: guitarist Edward Van Halen and his drummer brother Alex. Eddie had been trained as a classical pianist before taking to the guitar, which lent both his songwriting and his playing an air of musicality missing from other hard rock. After repeated attempts, free-spirited lead singer David Lee Roth finally convinced the brothers he was the ideal frontman for the music they were playing. Bassist Michael Anthony came aboard in 1974 to round out what turned out to be the band’s classic lineup.
[RELATED: The 20 Best Eddie Van Halen Quotes]
After a few name changes (they were first Genesis and then Mammoth), Roth insisted on the simplicity of Van Halen (which eventually led to the iconic VH band logo). Because they played so loud and elicited such a crazed reaction from fans, many Southern California venues wouldn’t book them. As a result, Van Halen built their reputation playing house parties before eventually securing more established locations by the mid-’70s.
In 1976, Gene Simmons of KISS was encouraged to see the band as a possible act for his new label. He produced a demo that included many songs the band would eventually record for their early studio albums, including a version of “Runnin’ with the Devil.” The demo went nowhere, but Van Halen’s momentum finally became impossible to deny. Producer Ted Templeman got them a deal at Warner Bros. after seeing one of their live performances.
Their self-titled debut album would be recorded in just a matter of three weeks in August and September 1977, with Templeman on board as producer. The band dipped into their repertoire of live material for the song selection. And quite a repertoire it turned out to be: songs like “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘bout Love,” “Jamie’s Cryin’,” and “Feel Your Love Tonight” have pretty much been classic rock gold ever since the album’s release in February 1978.
Those songs proved one of Van Halen’s essential qualities: the ability to rock hard enough for the headbangers while delivering accessible songs for pop-oriented audiences. In fact, they fought for one of those songs to be the lead single, but Templeman wanted a surer thing and exhorted the band to go with their thumping cover of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” It was a savvy choice, as it helped the band hit the Top 40 right off the bat and gained exposure for the album.
Once fans sampled the album, they experienced the instrumental that led into “You Really Got Me,” a two-minute showcase for Eddie Van Halen’s virtuosity entitled “Eruption” that would inspire generations of budding rock guitarists. Outside “Eruption,” there may be no song from that debut more emblematic of what Van Halen brought to the table than the album’s opening track, which featured a title that had people scrambling to figure out just what these four guys were trying to say about who they were and the music they played.
[RELATED: The Origins of Van Halen]
What Is the Meaning Behind “Runnin’ with the Devil?”
The first sound that you hear on the band’s debut album is a rising, ominous blare. It was Gene Simmons’ idea to open “Runnin’ with the Devil,” which is credited to all four members of the band, with a car horn. Eddie Van Halen took the idea and ran with it, improvising a device with the horns of the band members’ cars that he could manipulate for the recording. The horn rises, Michael Anthony cranks out a single repeated bass note, a mysterious piano plinks, and then the crunching main groove kicks into gear.
It’s interesting upon listening to “Runnin with the Devil,” which is considered a hard rock classic, just how quiet it is in sections, especially in the verses when the music murmurs behind Roth’s pronouncements. Of course, that makes the refrains, when the undeniable rhythm locks back into place, that much more impactful.
The track also limits Eddie’s soloing, just a few quick but impressive bursts. But his ability as a rhythm guitarist is on full display, as he gives the song an unforced funkiness in conjunction with the bottom end of Anthony and Alex Van Halen. There is also plenty of room for Roth’s vocal scatting and general wackiness, another key aspect of the band’s engaging nature that was on display right off the bat. These guys were going to rock out and have a blast doing it, which was in contrast to some of their more stone-faced contemporaries of the era.
As for the lyrics? No, there’s nothing satanic about them. The devil is just a metaphor for the high-intensity, high-risk life chosen by the narrator. Roth doesn’t pretend there are no consequences for that choice: Yes, I’m livin‘ at a pace that kills, he boasts. That’s the price you pay when you act like there’s no tomorrow.
Roth often gets criticized for his less-than-traditional singing style, but you can’t deny that his theatricality and charisma bring a ton to the table in a song that might have otherwise come off as dour. His mugging coupled with the band’s intensity made for an unforgettable mix.
That’s why “Runnin’ with the Devil” turned out to be the ideal introduction to this one-for-the-ages band. Their individual skills are evident, but their chemistry as a unit is what makes the track such a classic.
Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage
