[Instrumental]


Lyrics submitted by ledskynyrd

Eruption song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

58 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +2
    General Comment

    I love the lyrics to this song. It's always meant so much to me. I first heard it at such a difficult time in my life and it spoke to me in such a special way. Wait - oh, this is an instrumental? Oh, wait, ok... well, I'll just cut and paste this comment into some other song then!

    e_boon October 06, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    There is no other like Eddie. Few men can make a guitar whail and scream quite like he does.

    Humbucker57on December 27, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I can’t help but reply to those critical of Eddie. I was tempted to just say, “Dear Eddie haters, you suck,” but then I figured while that’s what I felt inside, it just wasn’t a very good argument. So, to the Eddie haters:

    In the course of human history, there have been but a few rock guitarists who will be remembered for changing the face of rock guitar. So far we have Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, and Kurt Cobain (but not in a good way, so I’m not going to talk about his crappy guitar playing and the era of music that was the buttcrack of rock that he was responsible for making popular). What about Jimmy Page? Well, to be honest, Page didn’t really change the face of rock guitar, he just wrote some of the most amazing riffs of all time. What about Iommi? Iommi didn’t really change the face of rock guitar either, but instead created his own parallel heavy metal guitar universe (mainly a sound more than a style) that played along side rock at the time, namely Jimmy Page, who wrote killer riffs in the style that Hendrix invented. So, three guitarists who took what came before and improved on it. Eddie is the last guitarist on this list to change the face of rock guitar and improve on what came before. Their first album came out in 1978, and when people heard it, a new era began. That was 29 years ago folks, and we’re still waiting for the next guitarist to take rock guitar to a greater place. Grunge came along (dang it, I said I wouldn’t talk about this) and guitar playing regressed to the point that the less talent you showed, the more you were revered. That was the point of grunge, it was the antithesis to what was out at the time, i.e. bands that had guitarists who could play. Yes, maybe it had become cliche, shredding guitars that is, but that doesn’t change the fact that it takes far more talent to play what Eddie Van Halen (and all those who tried to copy him) played than it takes to play even the most difficult grunge song.

    There are some guitarists who have equaled, even possibly surpassed, Eddie Van Halen in technical brilliance (some mentioned earlier in other posts) although I’d venture a guess that there isn’t a guitar song on the face of the earth that Eddie Van Halen couldn’t play. There may be some who play with more passion than Eddie, although I think he gets unfairly labeled as lacking any feeling: how about 316-an ode to his son you “Eddie doesn’t play with heart” SOB’s, I’m the One (who says happy isn’t an emotion), House of Pain (who says anger isn’t an emotion), Year to the Day (ok, fine, you want sadness and feeling, here’s a depresser), or Josephina (a child to his mother, asking to learn about her childhood)? Just because he hasn’t committed suicide doesn’t mean he doesn’t play with feeling. Anyway, back on track, there may be guitarists who surpass Eddie in every criteria of what it takes to be a great guitarist, but there has never been a guitar player who was as technically brilliant as Eddie AND could play with as much feeling as Eddie, AND influenced a generation like Eddie, AND helped invent guitar hardware like Eddie, AND...etc. In other words, Eddie is the all-around greatest rock guitar player of all time, and Eruption is his trademark song.

    If this doesn’t convince you Eddie haters then...YOU SUCK. There, take that.

    jonjuanon July 13, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Greatest guitar solo ever?

    frank68bullitton July 11, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Fucking sweet guitar work here. Right between Stairway to Heaven and Freebird.

    noxeson October 08, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Funny, an instrumental song has more comments about its lyrics than most other Van Halen songs...

    Btw, you had misspelled instrumental ledskynyrd, you just edited it afterwards, not nice calling people idiots when you're actually wrong...

    You're welcome...

    Lyraon October 12, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Who cares? It's fixed now.

    Anyway, this is a great solo. I can't believe such a solo was created while just 'screwing around' in the studio, no knowledge of it being recorded. Here's to Mr. Eddie Van Halen. \m//!

    Best Of Both Worldson October 28, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I don't believe "Go red sox" is sung anywhere in the song.

    Philadelphia Eagleson November 10, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    It dosen't say that either, stop spamming, idiot.

    Philadelphia Eagleson November 12, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Continue spamming.

    shadowwiththeeyeson November 12, 2004   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere. In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Album art
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988. "'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it." "There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.