Contests

LISTEN LIVE

David Lee Roth Pens Tribute Song To Eddie Van Halen

David Lee Roth has released a new song dedicated to Eddie Van Halen, cheekily titled “Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar and Grill,” a reference to the Rainbow Bar and Grill…

LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 01: Van Halen, (L-R) Dave Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen perform as part of their 2012 North American tour at Staples Center on June 1, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

David Lee Roth has released a new song dedicated to Eddie Van Halen, cheekily titled "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar and Grill," a reference to the Rainbow Bar and Grill in Los Angeles.

Roth posted the song to YouTube and the video features a Roth drawing that says on it, "Hey Ed I'm gonna miss ya. See you on the other side."

Roth sings in the bittersweet chorus, "Somewhere over the Rainbow Bar and Grill/Never knew me a better time and I guess I never will/Somewhere over the Rainbow Bar and Grill/Some say they was happy then/Me, I'm happy still."

Roth's cheeky sense of humor, of course, is present in the song. In the first verse he sings, "In a sleeping bag in front of the fireplace, my girlfriend and me." But later in the song he sings,"In a sleeping bag in front of the fireplace, your girlfriend and me."

He concludes, "It's a damn good story/and there's still more to tell/Somewhere over the Rainbow Bar and Grill/Some say time ain't got better, maybe they still will/Yeah, we know all the punchlines, but we still laugh like hell/One thing never changes, still can't afford the bill."

Roth's occasional guitarist, John 5 , has said that a song with the same title had been recorded for an unreleased album.

Listen to the song below.

Van Halen: Their 30 Best Songs, Ranked

Brian has been working in pop culture and media for about three decades: he’s worked at MTV, VH1, SiriusXM, CBS and Loudwire. Besides working as a writer and an editor-in-chief, he’s also appeared on air as a pundit, guested on radio shows and hosted podcasts. Over the years, he’s interviewed the surviving members of Led Zeppelin, the members of U2, Beyonce, Pink, Usher, Stevie Nicks, Lorde… and is grateful to have had the chance to interview Joe Strummer of the Clash and Tom Petty.