Listen: David Lee Roth Releases New Song Dedicated to Eddie Van Halen

The Van Halen singer's solo track reflects on his pre-fame days in California

David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen during their last concert tour together in 2015
David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen during their last concert tour together in 2015.
Daniel Knighton/Getty Images

Singer David Lee Roth recently released the contemplative track “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill,” dedicated to his late bandmate Eddie Van Halen, as reported by Consequence of Sound.

While the song was actually written a few years back with guitarist John 5 (a frequent Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson contributor who got his start with a little-heard Roth solo album back in 1998), it had yet to see the light of day until last week.

Roth shared the song via YouTube with a still graphic featuring the message, “Hey Ed / I’m gonna miss ya’ / See you on the other side.” It’s an acoustic number that reflects on the singer’s pre-fame days in Los Angeles; for fans who haven’t heard from the Van Halen singer in a while, it’s a bit mellow but not that far removed from his rock ballad “Damn Good” (from the 1988 album Skyscraper).

Eddie Van Halen passed away in early October at the age of 65 after a long battle with throat cancer. Roth, meanwhile, has begun to release songs (including the aforementioned “Somewhere …”) as part of The Roth Project, a comic book/music collaboration online now.

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